Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Messina

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,107 a month against $1,359 in Messina, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. The total is higher in Messina despite lower rent and utilities.

67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
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Jeju Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Messina
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Messina Living Index

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Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,107

/mo nomad

Messina

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jeju and in Messina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jeju and in Messina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,107 per month in Jeju vs $1,359 in Messina, rent included.

Jeju $1,107
Messina $1,359

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in Jeju vs $2,355 in Messina, rent included.

Jeju $1,900
Messina $2,355

A family of three spends $2,694 per month in Jeju vs $3,350 in Messina, rent included.

Jeju $2,694
Messina $3,350

Jeju is about 19% cheaper than Messina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jeju sits 18% below the global median, while Messina is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 ₩9,835

$14.98 €13.33

-50.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.2 ₩70.7K

$66.3 €59.0

-19.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 ₩7,233

$12.43 €11.05

-56.23%

Cappuccino

$5.75 ₩7,640

$1.99 €1.77

188.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₩2,945

$2.37 €2.11

-6.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₩2,575

$1.20 €1.07

61.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$4.56 €4.06

-24.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₩4,050

$3.34 €2.97

-8.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩2,998

$1.26 €1.12

79.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 ₩3,060

$1.76 €1.56

30.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ₩2,941

$2.84 €2.53

-22.18%

Eggs

$2.59 ₩3,444

$2.98 €2.65

-13.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.27 €12.69

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 €9.47

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 €15.26

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.59

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ₩2,867

$1.63 €1.45

32.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €3.07

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 ₩4,047

$0.64 €0.57

375.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ₩2,454

$1.51 €1.34

22.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 ₩2,908

$1.41 €1.25

55.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩620

$0.42 €0.38

11.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €5.99

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 ₩14.9K

$5.55 €4.94

102.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₩2,490

$1.67 €1.48

11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₩2,200

$2.30 €2.05

-28.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₩1,370

$1.71 €1.52

-39.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.41 €37.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 €4.83

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.71 €33.54

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,762

$2.00 €1.78

-33.50%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.8K €31.0K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.4K €27.9K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$216 ₩287.8K

$171 €152

26.63%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.7 ₩71.4K

$10.20 €9.08

426.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.50 ₩25.9K

$26.12 €23.23

-25.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 €41.63

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 €14.78

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 €7.74

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$338 €301

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K ₩33.6M

$5,643 €5,020

347.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 ₩68.6K

$71.5 €63.6

-27.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.38 ₩40.4K

$30.47 €27.10

-0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 ₩88.5K

$86.9 €77.3

-23.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 ₩119.2K

$127 €113

-29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₩614.5K

$524 €466

-11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 ₩506.9K

$374 €333

1.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 ₩1.8M

$1,202 €1,069

13.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 ₩1.6M

$1,088 €968

7.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K ₩13.8M

$2,033 €1,808

409.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,733 ₩9.0M

$1,611 €1,433

317.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,856 ₩2.5M

$1,640 €1,459

13.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Jeju: October 11, 2026

Last update for Messina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Jeju

$381 34.5%

Messina

$374 27.5% 1.8% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

$290 26.2%

Messina

$207 15.3% 28.5% $82

Eating Out

Jeju

$184 16.7%

Messina

$225 16.5% 21.9% $40

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

$140 * 12.7%

Messina

$287 21.1% 105% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

$107 9.7%

Messina

$142 10.5% 32.5% $35

Getting Around

Jeju

$4.1 * 0.4%

Messina

$60 4.4% 1360% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

- * 0%

Messina

$64 4.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $462 in Jeju versus $524 in Messina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Jeju, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Jeju versus $66.0 in Messina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $140 vs $287 – making Jeju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇮🇹 Messina

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

01:25 1:25 AM

7 h behind Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

217,734

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jeju Messina 9,330 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Jeju
Messina

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Jeju vs Messina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Messina is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,660 per month in Jeju and $2,039 in Messina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 105% more in Messina, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Jeju and $66.0 in Messina. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,107, than in Messina at $1,359. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Messina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeju – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Jeju. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Messina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.