Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Cheongju Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Cheongju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,471 in Kingston versus $1,271 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Kingston versus $1,916 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,420 in Kingston versus $2,562 in Cheongju.

Living in Kingston is roughly 16% more expensive than Cheongju, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 10% above, Cheongju is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 JMD 1,147

$7.10 ₩10.5K

2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 JMD 9,862

$36.92 ₩54.8K

70.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 JMD 1,412

$4.75 ₩7,048

89.26%

Cappuccino

$4.36 JMD 684

$4.20 ₩6,234

3.81%

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

$1.36 JMD 214

$1.82 ₩2,693

-25.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$1.33 ₩1,974

-43.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 JMD 387

$3.65 ₩5,421

-32.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 502

$5.85 ₩8,678

-45.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.41 JMD 693

$2.03 ₩3,009

117.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 JMD 563

$3.49 ₩5,170

2.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 253

$1.80 ₩2,664

-10.56%

Eggs

$3.55 JMD 558

$2.14 ₩3,170

65.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 JMD 1,750

$10.37 ₩15.4K

7.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 JMD 1,014

$8.15 ₩12.1K

-20.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 JMD 1,185

$14.73 ₩21.9K

-48.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 JMD 966

$2.90 ₩4,305

112.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 JMD 476

$2.85 ₩4,234

6.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 JMD 650

$7.33 ₩10.9K

-43.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 464

$5.10 ₩7,571

-41.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 330

$5.18 ₩7,686

-59.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 JMD 300

$2.99 ₩4,437

-36.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 JMD 483

$2.10 ₩3,118

46.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$0.45 ₩675

222.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 JMD 1,367

$3.40 ₩5,045

155.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 JMD 1,791

$13.40 ₩19.9K

-14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 JMD 456

$1.76 ₩2,607

65.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 482

$2.23 ₩3,307

37.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 JMD 138

$1.20 ₩1,783

-26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.34 JMD 7,750

$74.2 ₩110.1K

-33.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 JMD 177

$2.72 ₩4,028

-58.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 JMD 510

$0.78 ₩1,159

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 JMD 955

$16.73 ₩24.8K

-63.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 200

$1.20 ₩1,783

6.67%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

$27.8K ₩41.3M

55.92%

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

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

$24.8K ₩36.7M

34.15%

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

$163 JMD 25.6K

$187 ₩276.7K

-12.77%

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

$22.50 JMD 3,533

$24.21 ₩35.9K

-7.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 JMD 8,029

$14.77 ₩21.9K

246.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.8 JMD 11.0K

$60.7 ₩90.0K

15.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 JMD 2,431

$33.69 ₩50.0K

-54.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 JMD 2,063

$7.54 ₩11.2K

74.14%

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

$228 JMD 35.9K

$487 ₩722.8K

-53.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,527 JMD 396.9K

$14.2K ₩21.1M

-82.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.50 JMD 4,163

$36.46 ₩54.1K

-27.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.86 JMD 4,062

$47.11 ₩69.9K

-45.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 JMD 11.3K

$89.9 ₩133.3K

-20.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

$108 ₩160.4K

-28.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 JMD 137.7K

$300 ₩445.6K

191.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 JMD 70.5K

$236 ₩350.4K

89.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 JMD 316.9K

$418 ₩620.2K

382.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 JMD 190.5K

$301 ₩446.3K

303.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,865 JMD 450.0K

$9,730 ₩14.4M

-70.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,208 JMD 346.7K

$5,844 ₩8.7M

-62.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$734 JMD 115.2K

$2,369 ₩3.5M

-69.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

4.22

116.82%

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

Last update for Kingston: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $877 in Kingston and $300 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 223% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Kingston vs $37.00 in Cheongju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $349 per month, with Cheongju cheaper across the board.

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

Kingston vs Cheongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Cheongju earns 223% less. 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: $877 in Kingston versus $300 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,471 per month in Kingston versus $1,271 in Cheongju – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cheongju runs roughly 50% less than in Kingston. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,271 in Cheongju versus $1,471 in Kingston, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju 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, Kingston and Cheongju 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 Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.