Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lhasa and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Lhasa: $733 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Lhasa
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Lhasa Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Lhasa

🇨🇳 China

$733

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lhasa 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 Lhasa and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $733 in Lhasa versus $1,804 in Seoul.

Lhasa $733
Seoul $1,804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,192 in Lhasa versus $2,877 in Seoul.

Lhasa $1,192
Seoul $2,877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,651 in Lhasa versus $3,950 in Seoul.

Lhasa $1,651
Seoul $3,950

Living in Lhasa costs roughly 59% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lhasa is 46% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.26

$9.10 ₩12.1K

-50.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.37 ¥203

$66.7 ₩88.6K

-54.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ¥50.3

$7.49 ₩9,959

0.40%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ¥18.69

$4.19 ₩5,569

-33.41%

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

$0.43 ¥2.90

$1.55 ₩2,067

-72.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.04

$0.79 ₩1,055

-62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.89

$3.64 ₩4,846

-59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.80

$6.14 ₩8,164

-66.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ¥11.93

$2.11 ₩2,811

-15.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥11.00

$3.05 ₩4,051

-45.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.39

$4.21 ₩5,599

-77.20%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.26

$3.54 ₩4,709

-52.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.16 ¥47.89

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-60.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 ¥19.52

$10.35 ₩13.8K

-71.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-58.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ¥12.57

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-76.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$3.44 ₩4,578

-62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.37

$5.64 ₩7,493

-72.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.52

$6.41 ₩8,517

-80.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$3.71 ₩4,938

-81.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$2.52 ₩3,345

-62.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$2.87 ₩3,816

-79.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$1.16 ₩1,536

-52.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.18

$3.37 ₩4,480

11.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 ¥78.7

$18.72 ₩24.9K

-37.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥5.95

$2.28 ₩3,036

-60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.42

$3.31 ₩4,397

-52.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.13 ₩1,497

-74.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.84 ¥119

$46.73 ₩62.1K

-61.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$3.52 ₩4,684

-58.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.64 ₩849

-48.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.00 ¥46.79

$8.76 ₩11.7K

-20.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$1.45 ₩1,930

-13.79%

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

$19.5K ¥130.2K

$29.7K ₩39.4M

-34.33%

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

$17.2K ¥114.7K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-39.17%

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

$57.0 ¥381

$211 ₩280.4K

-72.95%

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

$8.51 ¥56.9

$35.36 ₩47.0K

-75.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.05 ¥73.9

$20.57 ₩27.4K

-46.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.14 ¥282

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 ¥100

$16.20 ₩21.5K

-7.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 ¥43.33

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-43.01%

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

$413 ¥2,762

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-79.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ¥117.9K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

-22.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.14 ¥295

$57.5 ₩76.4K

-23.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.10 ¥221

$33.08 ₩44.0K

0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 ¥494

$70.1 ₩93.2K

5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 ¥507

$84.3 ₩112.0K

-9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,965

$878 ₩1.2M

-66.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,223

$624 ₩829.7K

-70.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ¥4,174

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-75.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥2,508

$1,287 ₩1.7M

-70.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,432 ¥22.9K

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-88.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,929 ¥12.9K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-83.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,127 ¥14.2K

$3,599 ₩4.8M

-40.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.08

-17.65%

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

Last update for Lhasa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lhasa

$188 25.6%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 156% $292

Accommodation & Living

Lhasa

$183 24.9%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 241% $441

Eating Out

Lhasa

$107 14.6%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 73.6% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Lhasa

$102 13.9%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 7.9% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lhasa

$77 10.5%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 248% $190

Sport & Entertainment

Lhasa

$55 7.5%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 46% $25

Getting Around

Lhasa

$22 3%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 162% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Lhasa and $878 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 69% 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: $30.00 in Lhasa vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $480 per month, with Lhasa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Lhasa

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

04:09 4:09 AM

1 h ahead of Lhasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

867,891

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Lhasa Seoul 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lhasa
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

Lhasa vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lhasa and Seoul differ by about 146% in total monthly costs ($733 vs $1,804 including rent). Lhasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Seoul. 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: $294 in Lhasa versus $878 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 156% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lhasa – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $67.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $733 in Lhasa versus $1,804 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lhasa but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Lhasa 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, Lhasa and Seoul 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 Lhasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.