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: $1,475 in Kingston versus $1,291 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,431 in Kingston versus $1,925 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,388 in Kingston versus $2,559 in Cheongju.

Living in Kingston is roughly 14% more expensive than Cheongju, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 11% above, Cheongju is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 JMD 1,211

$7.04 ₩10.6K

9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.8 JMD 10.0K

$36.02 ₩54.4K

76.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 JMD 1,408

$4.66 ₩7,048

91.85%

Cappuccino

$4.36 JMD 686

$4.00 ₩6,045

9.00%

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

$1.32 JMD 208

$1.89 ₩2,861

-30.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 112

$1.33 ₩2,017

-46.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 JMD 398

$3.68 ₩5,561

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 479

$5.84 ₩8,829

-47.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.21 JMD 664

$2.08 ₩3,146

102.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 JMD 546

$3.46 ₩5,235

0.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 256

$1.80 ₩2,714

-10.00%

Eggs

$3.41 JMD 538

$2.16 ₩3,258

57.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 JMD 1,707

$10.42 ₩15.7K

4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 JMD 979

$8.44 ₩12.8K

-26.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.56 JMD 1,191

$14.60 ₩22.1K

-48.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 JMD 926

$2.97 ₩4,495

97.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 JMD 478

$2.86 ₩4,328

5.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 JMD 680

$7.56 ₩11.4K

-42.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 474

$5.19 ₩7,835

-42.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 315

$5.10 ₩7,704

-60.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 315

$2.93 ₩4,433

-31.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 JMD 490

$2.02 ₩3,058

53.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 JMD 235

$0.43 ₩642

246.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.92 JMD 1,405

$3.28 ₩4,961

171.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 JMD 1,772

$13.15 ₩19.9K

-14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 JMD 433

$1.68 ₩2,532

63.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 JMD 499

$2.27 ₩3,424

39.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 JMD 138

$1.16 ₩1,745

-24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.15 JMD 7,741

$72.1 ₩108.9K

-31.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 177

$2.61 ₩3,951

-57.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 496

$0.80 ₩1,214

293.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 JMD 974

$16.25 ₩24.5K

-61.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 202

$1.16 ₩1,747

10.34%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

$27.8K ₩42.0M

56.18%

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

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

$25.3K ₩38.3M

31.13%

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

$165 JMD 26.0K

$192 ₩289.4K

-13.78%

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

$21.94 JMD 3,455

$24.53 ₩37.1K

-10.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 JMD 7,930

$14.49 ₩21.9K

247.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 JMD 10.8K

$61.4 ₩92.8K

11.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.39 JMD 2,424

$34.59 ₩52.3K

-55.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 JMD 2,097

$7.30 ₩11.0K

82.33%

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

$223 JMD 35.2K

$481 ₩726.4K

-53.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,452 JMD 386.2K

$14.1K ₩21.4M

-82.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.29 JMD 4,141

$36.63 ₩55.3K

-28.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.78 JMD 4,060

$47.80 ₩72.2K

-46.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 JMD 11.2K

$89.4 ₩135.0K

-20.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

$111 ₩167.3K

-30.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 JMD 141.6K

$293 ₩443.0K

206.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 JMD 72.9K

$238 ₩359.2K

94.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 JMD 316.5K

$407 ₩615.6K

393.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 JMD 188.0K

$301 ₩454.4K

296.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 JMD 443.2K

$9,598 ₩14.5M

-70.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,178 JMD 343.0K

$5,345 ₩8.1M

-59.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 JMD 117.6K

$2,321 ₩3.5M

-67.82%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $899 in Kingston and $293 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 211% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Kingston vs $36.00 in Cheongju. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $350, with Kingston cheaper for home cooking.

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 14% 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 211% 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: $899 in Kingston versus $293 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,475 per month in Kingston versus $1,291 in Cheongju – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cheongju runs roughly 47% less than in Kingston. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,291 in Cheongju versus $1,475 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 14% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.