Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Seongnam

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,102 a month against $1,410 in Seongnam, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. The total is higher in Seongnam despite lower rent and utilities.

67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
Learn more

Jeju Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Seongnam
Learn more

Seongnam Living Index

Jump to prices

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,102

/mo nomad

Seongnam

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jeju and in Seongnam

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 Seongnam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,102 per month in Jeju vs $1,410 in Seongnam, rent included.

Jeju $1,102
Seongnam $1,410

A couple spends around $1,886 per month in Jeju vs $2,350 in Seongnam, rent included.

Jeju $1,886
Seongnam $2,350

A family of three spends $2,670 per month in Jeju vs $3,289 in Seongnam, rent included.

Jeju $2,670
Seongnam $3,289

Jeju is about 22% cheaper than Seongnam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jeju sits 19% below the global median, while Seongnam is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$6.82 ₩9,068

12.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.4 ₩71.0K

$40.60 ₩54.0K

31.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 ₩7,294

$6.73 ₩8,945

-18.42%

Cappuccino

$5.80 ₩7,713

$4.16 ₩5,536

39.42%

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

$2.23 ₩2,961

$1.62 ₩2,152

37.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₩2,597

$0.80 ₩1,068

143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ₩4,592

$3.50 ₩4,651

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ₩4,020

$3.80 ₩5,049

-20.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 ₩3,026

$2.29 ₩3,041

-0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 ₩3,008

$3.19 ₩4,247

-29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ₩2,947

$3.75 ₩4,988

-40.80%

Eggs

$2.63 ₩3,492

$3.65 ₩4,853

-27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 ₩12.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ₩10.4K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.64 ₩27.4K

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 ₩10.3K

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ₩2,945

$3.37 ₩4,480

-34.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.68 ₩7,557

Tomato (1kg)

$7.21 ₩9,583

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,017

$3.76 ₩5,006

-19.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 ₩2,442

$2.60 ₩3,452

-29.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₩2,903

$2.97 ₩3,947

-26.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩621

$1.11 ₩1,479

-57.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 ₩4,557

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 ₩15.1K

$18.57 ₩24.7K

-38.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₩2,563

$2.11 ₩2,809

-8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₩2,206

$1.89 ₩2,516

-12.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ₩1,380

$1.04 ₩1,383

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 ₩4,922

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₩819

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.07 ₩12.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,774

$1.42 ₩1,885

-6.34%

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

$30.1K ₩40.0M

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

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

$215 ₩285.8K

$216 ₩286.7K

-0.31%

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

$53.6 ₩71.2K

$36.43 ₩48.4K

47.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.82 ₩26.4K

$20.83 ₩27.7K

-4.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 ₩73.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.92 ₩17.2K

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 ₩14.8K

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

$378 ₩503.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K ₩33.6M

$17.6K ₩23.4M

43.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ₩68.0K

$58.1 ₩77.3K

-11.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.44 ₩40.5K

$33.41 ₩44.4K

-8.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 ₩87.1K

$71.6 ₩95.2K

-8.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 ₩121.6K

$81.5 ₩108.4K

12.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ₩632.0K

$479 ₩637.3K

-0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ₩497.3K

$355 ₩471.8K

5.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 ₩1.8M

$1,163 ₩1.5M

15.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 ₩1.5M

$1,040 ₩1.4M

9.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ₩14.2M

$7,040 ₩9.4M

52.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,828 ₩9.1M

$5,506 ₩7.3M

24.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,855 ₩2.5M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Jeju: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seongnam: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jeju

$374 33.9%

Seongnam

$355 25.2% 5.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

$288 26.2%

Seongnam

$273 19.4% 5.4% $15

Eating Out

Jeju

$187 17%

Seongnam

$159 11.3% 14.9% $28

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

$141 * 12.8%

Seongnam

$425 30.1% 202% $284

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

$107 9.7%

Seongnam

$110 7.8% 2.6% $2.7

Getting Around

Jeju

$4.2 * 0.4%

Seongnam

$11 * 0.8% 164% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

- * 0%

Seongnam

$77 5.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Jeju versus $479 in Seongnam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Jeju versus $41.00 in Seongnam. Groceries tell a different story – $141 in Jeju vs $425 in Seongnam – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇰🇷 Seongnam

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

Same time as Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

967,510

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jeju Seongnam 440 km

From you

Jeju
Seongnam

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 Seongnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seongnam is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,653 per month in Jeju and $2,116 in Seongnam. 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 202% more in Seongnam, 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 $41.00 in Seongnam. 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 $1,102, than in Seongnam at $1,410. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seongnam 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, Seongnam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.