Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jinju and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinju: $1,493 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Jinju
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Jinju Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Jinju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,493

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jinju 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 Jinju and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,493 per month in Jinju vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Jinju $1,493
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,403 per month in Jinju vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Jinju $2,403
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $3,312 per month in Jinju vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Jinju $3,312
Seoul $4,125

Jinju is about 19% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Jinju and Seoul sit above the global median – Jinju by 10%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.12 ₩12.1K

$9.05 ₩12.0K

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 ₩88.6K

$68.3 ₩90.7K

-2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 ₩10.3K

$7.35 ₩9,751

5.17%

Cappuccino

$4.22 ₩5,602

$4.12 ₩5,464

2.43%

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

$1.61 ₩2,130

$1.64 ₩2,181

-1.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩979

$0.81 ₩1,070

-8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 ₩4,911

$3.71 ₩4,921

-0.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₩7,842

$6.13 ₩8,138

-3.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,717

$2.04 ₩2,709

0.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₩4,017

$3.21 ₩4,260

-5.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,591

$4.39 ₩5,822

-4.10%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,768

$3.59 ₩4,765

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.74 ₩23.5K

$18.23 ₩24.2K

-2.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₩14.0K

$10.51 ₩13.9K

0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.61 ₩35.3K

$26.89 ₩35.7K

-1.04%

Apples (1kg)

$7.75 ₩10.3K

$7.86 ₩10.4K

-1.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.43 ₩4,545

$3.53 ₩4,683

-2.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.92 ₩7,852

$5.70 ₩7,569

3.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.17 ₩8,193

$6.18 ₩8,198

-0.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,917

$3.76 ₩4,993

-1.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,304

$2.51 ₩3,333

-0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 ₩3,860

$2.82 ₩3,735

3.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,540

$1.11 ₩1,472

4.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₩4,531

$3.30 ₩4,379

3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 ₩25.1K

$18.64 ₩24.7K

1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₩3,018

$2.42 ₩3,209

-6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ₩4,489

$3.36 ₩4,456

0.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,539

$1.19 ₩1,581

-2.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 ₩4,655

$3.55 ₩4,713

-1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩843

$0.60 ₩801

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ₩12.0K

$9.08 ₩12.0K

-0.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,919

$1.44 ₩1,908

0.69%

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

$29.1K ₩38.6M

$30.3K ₩40.2M

-3.99%

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

$28.9K ₩38.4M

$28.9K ₩38.3M

0.15%

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

$215 ₩285.0K

$213 ₩282.0K

1.07%

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

$35.87 ₩47.6K

$35.83 ₩47.5K

0.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.65 ₩27.4K

$21.39 ₩28.4K

-3.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ₩71.8K

$61.6 ₩81.8K

-12.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.29 ₩19.0K

$16.41 ₩21.8K

-12.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.2K

$11.42 ₩15.1K

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

$378 ₩501.3K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-80.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₩30.6M

$22.8K ₩30.2M

1.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ₩77.1K

$59.8 ₩79.3K

-2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 ₩42.9K

$34.19 ₩45.4K

-5.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 ₩91.7K

$66.0 ₩87.6K

4.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 ₩107.9K

$81.9 ₩108.7K

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 ₩646.2K

$924 ₩1.2M

-47.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₩476.9K

$659 ₩874.6K

-45.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-60.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 ₩994.1K

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-47.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,004 ₩9.3M

$27.2K ₩36.0M

-74.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,592 ₩7.4M

$11.3K ₩15.0M

-50.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.7M

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 Jinju: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jinju

$479 32.1%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 0.8% $4

Accommodation & Living

Jinju

$359 24.1%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 83.4% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jinju

$271 18.2%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 0.6% $1.6

Eating Out

Jinju

$187 12.5%

Seoul

$184 10% 1.1% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Jinju

$108 7.3%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Jinju

$77 5.2%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 9.7% $7.5

Getting Around

Jinju

$11 * 0.8%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 408% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Jinju versus $924 in Seoul. 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 $67 in Jinju versus $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $483 – making Jinju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jinju

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

Same time as Jinju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,548

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Jinju Seoul 280 km

From you

Jinju
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

Jinju vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,240 per month in Jinju and $2,771 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jinju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $487 there versus $924 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,493 in Jinju and $1,848 in Seoul. That’s a gap of about 24%.

Kindergarten costs $378 per month in Jinju and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Jinju – 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.