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: $1,702 in Kingston versus $1,382 in Seongnam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,853 in Kingston versus $2,320 in Seongnam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,004 in Kingston versus $3,258 in Seongnam.

Living in Kingston is roughly 23% more expensive than in Seongnam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 23% above, Seongnam 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.79 JMD 2,481

$6.81 ₩9,131

131.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 JMD 11.9K

$41.54 ₩55.7K

82.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 JMD 1,345

$6.72 ₩9,014

27.38%

Cappuccino

$5.40 JMD 848

$4.09 ₩5,488

32.03%

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

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.59 ₩2,137

-22.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 109

$0.78 ₩1,042

-10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 JMD 348

$3.51 ₩4,709

-37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 JMD 500

$3.66 ₩4,911

-13.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.25 JMD 667

$2.20 ₩2,949

93.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 JMD 578

$3.16 ₩4,244

16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 255

$3.59 ₩4,813

-54.87%

Eggs

$3.44 JMD 540

$3.46 ₩4,638

-0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 JMD 1,822

$9.42 ₩12.6K

23.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 JMD 1,007

$7.95 ₩10.7K

-19.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.16 JMD 1,596

$21.54 ₩28.9K

-52.83%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 JMD 967

$7.79 ₩10.5K

-20.92%

Banana (1kg)

$4.00 JMD 629

$3.39 ₩4,545

17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.30 JMD 1,147

$5.84 ₩7,832

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 JMD 467

$7.01 ₩9,397

-57.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 JMD 511

$3.73 ₩5,000

-12.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 JMD 424

$2.50 ₩3,348

8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.15 JMD 495

$2.78 ₩3,733

13.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 JMD 233

$1.33 ₩1,783

12.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 JMD 1,440

$3.25 ₩4,355

182.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 JMD 1,754

$18.71 ₩25.1K

-40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 JMD 442

$2.06 ₩2,762

36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 JMD 621

$1.83 ₩2,450

115.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 127

$1.05 ₩1,407

-22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.86 JMD 5,946

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 JMD 193

$3.65 ₩4,895

-66.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 JMD 486

$0.61 ₩820

408.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 JMD 979

$8.76 ₩11.8K

-28.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 218

$1.38 ₩1,854

0.72%

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

$44.5K JMD 7.0M

$29.6K ₩39.6M

50.73%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$27.9K ₩37.5M

17.79%

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

$178 JMD 28.0K

$206 ₩276.0K

-13.55%

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

$29.81 JMD 4,682

$37.11 ₩49.8K

-19.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 JMD 8,241

$20.28 ₩27.2K

158.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 JMD 9,598

$56.3 ₩75.5K

8.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.79 JMD 2,794

$11.10 ₩14.9K

60.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 JMD 2,065

$11.10 ₩14.9K

18.47%

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

$357 JMD 56.1K

$579 ₩775.9K

-38.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,159 JMD 1.3M

$17.7K ₩23.8M

-53.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.41 JMD 3,678

$56.6 ₩75.9K

-58.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 JMD 4,919

$32.50 ₩43.6K

-3.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 JMD 12.0K

$69.8 ₩93.6K

9.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.0K

$80.9 ₩108.5K

25.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 JMD 150.1K

$452 ₩605.8K

111.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 88.4K

$346 ₩463.6K

62.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 JMD 337.4K

$1,178 ₩1.6M

82.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 JMD 224.6K

$1,042 ₩1.4M

37.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,887 JMD 453.5K

$7,184 ₩9.6M

-59.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 JMD 328.4K

$5,370 ₩7.2M

-61.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$744 JMD 116.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

4.08

131.62%

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

Last update for Kingston: September 5, 2026

Last update for Seongnam: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Kingston and $452 in Seongnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Kingston vs $42.00 in Seongnam. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $427, 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

Seongnam wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seongnam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,554 in Kingston and $2,072 in Seongnam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $955 in Kingston versus $452 in Seongnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kingston pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,702 per month in Kingston versus $1,382 in Seongnam – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,382 in Seongnam versus $1,702 in Kingston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seongnam but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Seongnam 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 Seongnam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.