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: $1,706 in Kingston versus $1,218 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Kingston versus $2,083 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,988 in Kingston versus $2,948 in Cheongju.

Living in Kingston is roughly 40% more expensive than in Cheongju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 25% above, Cheongju is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.99 JMD 2,506

$7.52 ₩10.4K

112.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 JMD 11.8K

$49.15 ₩67.8K

53.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 JMD 1,358

$6.08 ₩8,397

42.43%

Cappuccino

$5.31 JMD 832

$3.72 ₩5,129

42.74%

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

$1.20 JMD 188

$1.79 ₩2,474

-32.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 JMD 106

$1.43 ₩1,972

-53.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 343

$3.76 ₩5,192

-41.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 502

$4.21 ₩5,808

-23.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.10 JMD 642

$2.06 ₩2,846

99.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 JMD 609

$3.14 ₩4,340

23.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 JMD 249

$1.89 ₩2,612

-15.87%

Eggs

$3.55 JMD 556

$2.20 ₩3,036

61.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 JMD 1,830

$10.79 ₩14.9K

8.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 JMD 1,010

$10.61 ₩14.6K

-39.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 JMD 1,605

$15.05 ₩20.8K

-31.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.18 JMD 969

$3.02 ₩4,172

104.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.87 JMD 607

$3.00 ₩4,134

29.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.50 JMD 1,175

$7.32 ₩10.1K

2.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 JMD 481

$5.95 ₩8,208

-48.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 JMD 528

$5.78 ₩7,978

-41.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 JMD 427

$3.33 ₩4,598

-18.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 489

$2.77 ₩3,822

12.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 JMD 239

$0.47 ₩650

223.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.54 JMD 1,495

$3.44 ₩4,742

177.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 JMD 1,791

$15.09 ₩20.8K

-24.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 439

$1.82 ₩2,514

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 JMD 641

$2.28 ₩3,147

79.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 JMD 119

$1.12 ₩1,548

-32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.96 JMD 5,949

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 JMD 183

$2.60 ₩3,589

-55.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 503

$0.71 ₩975

352.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 JMD 980

$16.54 ₩22.8K

-62.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 222

$1.32 ₩1,815

7.58%

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

$44.6K JMD 7.0M

$29.1K ₩40.1M

53.43%

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

$33.1K ₩45.7M

-0.23%

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

$172 JMD 27.0K

$198 ₩272.9K

-12.79%

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

$29.30 JMD 4,592

$24.07 ₩33.2K

21.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 JMD 8,167

$14.80 ₩20.4K

252.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 JMD 9,658

$54.7 ₩75.5K

12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.13 JMD 2,841

$11.74 ₩16.2K

54.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 JMD 2,068

$7.56 ₩10.4K

74.47%

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

$362 JMD 56.7K

$631 ₩871.2K

-42.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,377 JMD 1.3M

$21.8K ₩30.1M

-61.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.49 JMD 3,681

$36.94 ₩51.0K

-36.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.14 JMD 5,037

$65.6 ₩90.5K

-50.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 JMD 12.5K

$92.6 ₩127.8K

-13.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.0K

$113 ₩155.8K

-9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 JMD 153.8K

$281 ₩387.7K

249.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 JMD 88.7K

$214 ₩295.2K

164.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 JMD 333.8K

$1,137 ₩1.6M

87.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 JMD 216.8K

$734 ₩1.0M

88.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,880 JMD 451.3K

$7,177 ₩9.9M

-59.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,071 JMD 324.5K

$5,449 ₩7.5M

-62.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$739 JMD 115.8K

$2,579 ₩3.6M

-71.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

4.22

123.93%

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

Last update for Kingston: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Kingston and $281 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 249% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Kingston vs $49.00 in Cheongju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $376 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 40% 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, salaries run 249% lower in Cheongju. 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: $981 in Kingston versus $281 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $362 in Kingston versus $631 in Cheongju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $75.0 in Kingston. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Cheongju versus $1,706 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 40% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.