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: $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,642 in Seongnam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,489 in Kingston versus $2,473 in Seongnam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Kingston versus $3,303 in Seongnam.

Living in Kingston costs roughly 10% less than in Seongnam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 11% above, Seongnam 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 JMD 1,176

$5.77 ₩8,591

29.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 JMD 9,720

$42.92 ₩63.9K

43.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 JMD 1,352

$4.36 ₩6,485

96.79%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 692

$3.81 ₩5,664

15.22%

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

$1.33 JMD 209

$1.57 ₩2,338

-15.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.80 ₩1,184

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 383

$2.64 ₩3,932

-7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 489

$3.57 ₩5,307

-13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.33 JMD 682

$2.17 ₩3,223

99.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 JMD 551

$2.11 ₩3,137

65.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 258

$3.15 ₩4,689

-47.94%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 568

$3.15 ₩4,689

14.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 JMD 1,765

$9.45 ₩14.1K

18.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 JMD 1,016

$7.66 ₩11.4K

-15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,232

$34.14 ₩50.8K

-77.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 JMD 945

$7.87 ₩11.7K

-23.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 JMD 470

$3.50 ₩5,213

-14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 JMD 663

$5.39 ₩8,027

-21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 JMD 457

$6.70 ₩9,972

-56.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 319

$3.51 ₩5,226

-42.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 315

$2.83 ₩4,210

-29.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 475

$2.61 ₩3,883

15.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$0.97 ₩1,440

55.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.61 JMD 1,357

$3.28 ₩4,884

162.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,808

$16.47 ₩24.5K

-30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 438

$1.81 ₩2,686

53.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 480

$1.82 ₩2,706

67.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$1.06 ₩1,573

-23.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.18 JMD 7,751

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 171

$3.47 ₩5,170

-68.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 507

$0.53 ₩788

507.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 JMD 999

$8.85 ₩13.2K

-28.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.20 ₩1,779

3.33%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

$27.6K ₩41.1M

57.44%

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

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

$24.9K ₩37.0M

36.99%

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

$161 JMD 25.3K

$161 ₩239.0K

0.13%

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

$22.24 JMD 3,504

$34.69 ₩51.6K

-35.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,191

$22.08 ₩32.9K

135.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

$47.29 ₩70.4K

45.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 JMD 2,508

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,109

$11.11 ₩16.5K

20.43%

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

$222 JMD 35.0K

$412 ₩612.6K

-45.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

$23.1K ₩34.3M

-89.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 JMD 4,068

$58.0 ₩86.3K

-55.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 JMD 4,017

$46.77 ₩69.6K

-45.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

$79.3 ₩118.0K

-10.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

$117 ₩173.5K

-35.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 138.6K

$450 ₩669.6K

95.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 71.2K

$668 ₩994.5K

-32.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

$1,073 ₩1.6M

86.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

$1,013 ₩1.5M

17.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

$8,575 ₩12.8M

-66.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

$5,115 ₩7.6M

-57.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 115.4K

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Seongnam: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $450 in Seongnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Kingston vs $43.00 in Seongnam. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $436, 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 11% 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.

You'd need roughly $2,223 in Kingston and $2,463 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: $880 in Kingston versus $450 in Seongnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Seongnam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,482 per month in Kingston versus $1,642 in Seongnam – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,642 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 11% less than in Seongnam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.