Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kunshan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunshan: $710 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Kunshan
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Kunshan Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Kunshan

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kunshan and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kunshan and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $710 per month in Kunshan vs $1,822 in Seoul, rent included.

Kunshan $710
Seoul $1,822

A couple spends around $1,135 per month in Kunshan vs $2,847 in Seoul, rent included.

Kunshan $1,135
Seoul $2,847

A family of three spends $1,561 per month in Kunshan vs $3,872 in Seoul, rent included.

Kunshan $1,561
Seoul $3,872

Kunshan is about 61% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kunshan sits 47% below the global median, while Seoul is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ¥18.47

$9.10 ₩12.1K

-69.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.37 ¥143

$67.0 ₩89.4K

-68.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ¥31.96

$7.42 ₩9,900

-35.58%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥20.28

$4.08 ₩5,448

-25.74%

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

$0.46 ¥3.09

$1.60 ₩2,132

-71.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.80 ₩1,074

-63.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.28

$3.65 ₩4,867

-74.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.32

$5.94 ₩7,924

-63.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.38

$2.05 ₩2,731

-9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥10.43

$3.08 ₩4,113

-49.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.29

$4.21 ₩5,623

-77.67%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.78

$3.57 ₩4,765

-54.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 ¥86.9

$17.95 ₩24.0K

-27.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.67

$10.64 ₩14.2K

-69.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.38 ¥69.4

$26.44 ₩35.3K

-60.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.10

$7.42 ₩9,906

-75.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 ¥7.98

$3.53 ₩4,713

-66.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.90

$5.87 ₩7,834

-74.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.27

$6.37 ₩8,500

-82.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$3.75 ₩5,008

-81.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.52

$2.49 ₩3,323

-60.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$2.92 ₩3,895

-80.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.44

$1.15 ₩1,535

-55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 ¥21.15

$3.29 ₩4,390

-3.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 ¥71.6

$18.49 ₩24.7K

-42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.96

$2.28 ₩3,044

-67.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ¥10.63

$3.28 ₩4,380

-51.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$1.14 ₩1,519

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.00 ¥114

$45.47 ₩60.7K

-62.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.44

$3.48 ₩4,644

-59.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$0.60 ₩800

-45.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 ¥45.12

$8.70 ₩11.6K

-22.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.91

$1.50 ₩1,996

-21.33%

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

$19.8K ¥132.2K

$29.1K ₩38.9M

-32.05%

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

$17.4K ¥116.1K

$28.2K ₩37.6M

-38.36%

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

$44.30 ¥296

$209 ₩278.8K

-78.79%

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

$9.92 ¥66.3

$35.13 ₩46.9K

-71.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.65 ¥77.9

$21.18 ₩28.3K

-45.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 ¥278

$57.3 ₩76.5K

-27.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.67 ¥91.4

$15.89 ₩21.2K

-13.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 ¥40.04

$11.33 ₩15.1K

-47.13%

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

$331 ¥2,211

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-82.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ¥111.6K

$22.5K ₩30.1M

-25.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.98 ¥287

$58.9 ₩78.6K

-27.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 ¥200

$32.12 ₩42.9K

-6.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 ¥481

$70.1 ₩93.6K

2.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ¥481

$82.5 ₩110.1K

-12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 ¥1,824

$885 ₩1.2M

-69.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ¥1,310

$624 ₩832.2K

-68.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 ¥4,017

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-75.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ¥2,376

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-72.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,052 ¥20.4K

$29.8K ₩39.8M

-89.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 ¥13.6K

$11.8K ₩15.8M

-82.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

4.08

-4.66%

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

Last update for Kunshan: October 5, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kunshan

$199 27.7%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 141% $280

Accommodation & Living

Kunshan

$196 27.3%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 218% $427

Clothing & Footwear

Kunshan

$98 13.6%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 12.4% $12

Eating Out

Kunshan

$85 11.8%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 117% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kunshan

$66 9.2%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 303% $199

Sport & Entertainment

Kunshan

$54 7.5%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 49.1% $26

Getting Around

Kunshan

$21 2.9%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 168% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $273 in Kunshan versus $885 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Kunshan versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $479 – making Kunshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Kunshan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

16:43 4:43 PM

1 h ahead of Kunshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,092,496

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kunshan Seoul 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kunshan
Seoul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Kunshan vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 157%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,065 per month in Kunshan and $2,733 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kunshan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Kunshan and $67.0 in Seoul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $710 in Kunshan and $1,822 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 157%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kunshan, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Kunshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kunshan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kunshan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.