Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,111 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Shanghai despite lower rent and utilities.

67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
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Jeju Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,111

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jeju and in Shanghai

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

A single person spends $1,111 per month in Jeju vs $1,250 in Shanghai, rent included.

Jeju $1,111
Shanghai $1,250

A couple spends around $1,874 per month in Jeju vs $2,019 in Shanghai, rent included.

Jeju $1,874
Shanghai $2,019

A family of three spends $2,637 per month in Jeju vs $2,789 in Shanghai, rent included.

Jeju $2,637
Shanghai $2,789

Jeju is about 11% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jeju and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Jeju 17% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.26 ₩9,726

$4.55 ¥30.40

59.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 ₩69.7K

$29.52 ¥197

76.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 ₩7,291

$5.10 ¥34.08

6.67%

Cappuccino

$6.03 ₩8,080

$3.42 ¥22.88

76.32%

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

$2.22 ₩2,981

$0.61 ¥4.11

263.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₩2,595

$0.36 ¥2.40

438.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₩4,796

$1.21 ¥8.07

195.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,898

$2.29 ¥15.31

27.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩2,980

$1.86 ¥12.46

19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 ₩2,961

$2.01 ¥13.45

9.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,072

$1.02 ¥6.83

124.51%

Eggs

$2.70 ₩3,613

$1.72 ¥11.46

56.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.39

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.51

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₩2,859

$1.74 ¥11.65

22.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.96

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.23

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 ₩3,925

$0.77 ¥5.17

280.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₩2,506

$0.93 ¥6.21

101.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₩2,925

$0.62 ¥4.16

251.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₩577

$0.58 ¥3.88

-25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.60

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 ₩15.3K

$10.94 ¥73.1

4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₩2,588

$0.84 ¥5.59

129.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₩2,300

$1.60 ¥10.71

7.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₩1,272

$0.59 ¥3.92

61.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥202

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₩1,857

$1.27 ¥8.51

9.45%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

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

$18.6K ¥124.2K

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

$210 ₩281.8K

$57.2 ¥382

267.52%

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

$54.7 ₩73.3K

$8.06 ¥53.8

578.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.28 ₩25.8K

$10.52 ¥70.3

83.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

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

$1,437 ¥9,605

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K ₩32.9M

$28.1K ¥187.5K

-12.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 ₩70.0K

$54.7 ¥365

-4.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.57 ₩39.6K

$36.43 ¥243

-18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 ₩88.1K

$75.4 ¥504

-12.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ₩120.5K

$104 ¥695

-13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₩616.5K

$1,039 ¥6,945

-55.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 ₩511.3K

$589 ¥3,933

-35.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 ₩1.8M

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-47.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 ₩1.5M

$1,237 ¥8,268

-7.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K ₩13.9M

$13.6K ¥90.8K

-23.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,745 ₩9.0M

$6,191 ¥41.4K

8.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,840 ₩2.5M

$1,715 ¥11.5K

7.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Jeju: October 3, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jeju

$382 34.6%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 54.2% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

$284 25.8%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 73.3% $209

Eating Out

Jeju

$187 17%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 42.7% $80

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

$139 * 12.6%

Shanghai

$237 19% 69.8% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

$107 9.7%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 13.9% $15

Getting Around

Jeju

$3.8 * 0.3%

Shanghai

$37 3% 874% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

- * 0%

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Jeju versus $1,039 in Shanghai. 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 7% 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 $52.0 in Jeju versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries tell a different story – $139 in Jeju vs $237 in Shanghai – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

20:25 8:25 PM

19:25 7:25 PM

1 h behind Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

24,870,895

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Jeju Shanghai 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Jeju
Shanghai

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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,667 per month in Jeju and $1,874 in Shanghai. 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 70% more in Shanghai, 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 $52.0 in Jeju and $30.00 in Shanghai. 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 $1,111, than in Shanghai at $1,250. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai 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, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.