Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Seongnam Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Seongnam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,649 in Seongnam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Kingston versus $2,441 in Seongnam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,498 in Kingston versus $3,232 in Seongnam.

Living in Kingston costs roughly 12% less than in Seongnam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 8% above, Seongnam 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 JMD 1,192

$5.81 ₩8,803

30.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 JMD 9,707

$41.97 ₩63.6K

47.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 JMD 1,379

$4.30 ₩6,514

104.65%

Cappuccino

$4.36 JMD 682

$3.83 ₩5,805

13.84%

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

$1.32 JMD 207

$1.57 ₩2,381

-15.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.85 ₩1,291

-12.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 403

$2.53 ₩3,841

1.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 501

$3.77 ₩5,709

-15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.36 JMD 684

$2.14 ₩3,236

103.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 JMD 573

$2.10 ₩3,179

74.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 246

$3.14 ₩4,761

-50.00%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 543

$3.09 ₩4,676

12.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 JMD 1,754

$9.41 ₩14.3K

18.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 JMD 1,007

$7.60 ₩11.5K

-15.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,225

$33.71 ₩51.1K

-76.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 JMD 933

$7.89 ₩12.0K

-24.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 JMD 491

$3.51 ₩5,316

-10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 JMD 673

$5.63 ₩8,526

-23.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 464

$6.46 ₩9,784

-54.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 317

$3.40 ₩5,155

-40.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 315

$2.94 ₩4,448

-31.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 489

$2.63 ₩3,990

18.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 227

$1.03 ₩1,558

40.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 JMD 1,393

$3.37 ₩5,110

163.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 JMD 1,769

$16.79 ₩25.4K

-32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 454

$1.82 ₩2,758

59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 502

$1.81 ₩2,740

76.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JMD 140

$1.04 ₩1,578

-14.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.53 JMD 7,604

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$3.46 ₩5,236

-67.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 494

$0.54 ₩811

483.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 JMD 971

$8.79 ₩13.3K

-29.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 201

$1.24 ₩1,875

3.23%

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

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

$27.8K ₩42.1M

55.42%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$24.7K ₩37.4M

36.94%

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

$163 JMD 25.5K

$162 ₩244.8K

0.80%

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

$22.49 JMD 3,523

$34.98 ₩53.0K

-35.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 JMD 7,942

$21.83 ₩33.1K

132.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

$47.85 ₩72.5K

45.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 JMD 2,428

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 JMD 2,024

$11.19 ₩17.0K

15.46%

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

$222 JMD 34.8K

$411 ₩622.7K

-45.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

$23.5K ₩35.5M

-89.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 JMD 4,032

$58.3 ₩88.4K

-55.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 JMD 3,955

$46.71 ₩70.8K

-45.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

$80.5 ₩122.0K

-10.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

$119 ₩179.6K

-36.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 137.9K

$448 ₩679.3K

96.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 70.7K

$665 ₩1.0M

-32.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

$1,066 ₩1.6M

89.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

$1,010 ₩1.5M

19.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

$13.8K ₩20.9M

-79.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

$5,876 ₩8.9M

-62.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 114.7K

$4,338 ₩6.6M

-83.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

4.14

121.01%

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

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Last update for Seongnam: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $448 in Seongnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seongnam pays 492% 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: $62.0 in Kingston vs $42.00 in Seongnam. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $435, 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 Seongnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Seongnam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Seongnam earns 492% 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: $880 in Kingston versus $448 in Seongnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Seongnam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,451 per month in Kingston versus $1,649 in Seongnam – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,649 in Seongnam, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Seongnam. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston 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 Seongnam 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 Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Seongnam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.