Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jining and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Jining: $675 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Jining
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Jining Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Jining

🇨🇳 China

$675

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jining and in Seoul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $675 in Jining versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Jining $675
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,012 in Jining versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Jining $1,012
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,349 in Jining versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Jining $1,349
Seoul $3,931

Living in Jining costs roughly 62% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jining is 50% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.19 ¥14.62

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-75.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.48 ¥110

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-75.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.37 ¥29.21

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-42.04%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ¥16.75

$4.23 ₩5,624

-40.66%

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

$0.51 ¥3.41

$1.63 ₩2,167

-68.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.74 ₩985

-58.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.64 ₩4,843

-74.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.80

$6.15 ₩8,175

-73.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$2.01 ₩2,679

-15.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ¥7.89

$3.13 ₩4,164

-62.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$4.32 ₩5,744

-78.24%

Eggs

$0.96 ¥6.43

$3.61 ₩4,794

-73.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 ¥54.5

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-54.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.87 ¥19.17

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-72.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 ¥68.6

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-60.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.68

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-81.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.61

$3.38 ₩4,499

-70.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.06

$5.81 ₩7,723

-81.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$6.41 ₩8,520

-81.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$3.75 ₩4,983

-83.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$2.54 ₩3,375

-71.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.42

$2.84 ₩3,782

-76.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.08

$1.11 ₩1,472

-31.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 ¥35.50

$3.35 ₩4,455

58.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 ¥65.9

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.32

$2.40 ₩3,185

-60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.74

$3.37 ₩4,480

-52.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.14 ₩1,521

-72.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.21 ¥122

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-60.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ¥6.94

$3.49 ₩4,643

-70.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.63 ₩840

-53.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ¥24.10

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-59.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.77

$1.51 ₩2,005

-13.25%

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

$19.3K ¥129.0K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-34.07%

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

$17.6K ¥117.7K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-37.62%

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

$60.8 ¥407

$218 ₩289.2K

-72.04%

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

$6.92 ¥46.30

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-80.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.47 ¥70.0

$21.29 ₩28.3K

-50.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 ¥283

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-27.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.20 ¥102

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-5.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 ¥29.64

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-60.83%

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

$386 ¥2,578

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-80.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,427 ¥49.7K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-67.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.12 ¥288

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-24.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.56 ¥224

$33.39 ₩44.4K

0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥485

$71.5 ₩95.0K

1.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 ¥466

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ¥1,880

$901 ₩1.2M

-68.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,214

$612 ₩813.5K

-70.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ¥2,615

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-84.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 ¥1,796

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-78.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,524 ¥23.6K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-88.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,958 ¥13.1K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-83.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ¥3,957

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-83.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

4.08

-19.36%

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

Last update for Jining: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jining

$182 26.9%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 237% $430

Groceries & Markets

Jining

$172 25.5%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 177% $305

Clothing & Footwear

Jining

$99 14.6%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 11.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jining

$78 11.6%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 250% $196

Eating Out

Jining

$72 10.6%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 156% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Jining

$51 7.6%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 57.7% $30

Getting Around

Jining

$22 3.3%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 161% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Jining and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 517% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Jining vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $477 per month, with Jining cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jining

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

17:28 5:28 PM

1 h ahead of Jining

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,357,897

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Jining Seoul 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jining
Seoul

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

Jining vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jining is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 517% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $281 in Jining versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jining runs roughly 153% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $386 in Jining versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $675 in Jining versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jining but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Jining the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Jining and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jining gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.