Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Messina and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,107 a month against $1,359 in Messina, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. The total is higher in Messina despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Messina
Learn more

Messina Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
Learn more

Jeju Living Index

Jump to prices

Messina

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,359

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Messina and in Jeju

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

A single person spends $1,359 per month in Messina vs $1,107 in Jeju, rent included.

Messina $1,359
Jeju $1,107

A couple spends around $2,355 per month in Messina vs $1,900 in Jeju, rent included.

Messina $2,355
Jeju $1,900

A family of three spends $3,350 per month in Messina vs $2,694 in Jeju, rent included.

Messina $3,350
Jeju $2,694

Messina costs about 23% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Messina sits 1% above the global median, while Jeju is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 €13.33

$7.40 ₩9,835

102.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 €59.0

$53.2 ₩70.7K

24.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 €11.05

$5.44 ₩7,233

128.49%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.77

$5.75 ₩7,640

-65.39%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$2.21 ₩2,945

7.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.94 ₩2,575

-38.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 €4.06

$3.44 ₩4,578

32.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.05 ₩4,050

9.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$2.26 ₩2,998

-44.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.56

$2.30 ₩3,060

-23.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.53

$2.21 ₩2,941

28.51%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.65

$2.59 ₩3,444

15.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.27 €12.69

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 €9.47

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 €15.26

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.59

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.16 ₩2,867

-24.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €3.07

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 €0.57

$3.04 ₩4,047

-78.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.85 ₩2,454

-18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.25

$2.19 ₩2,908

-35.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 €0.38

$0.47 ₩620

-10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €5.99

Wine (Bottle)

$5.55 €4.94

$11.22 ₩14.9K

-50.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.87 ₩2,490

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.65 ₩2,200

39.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.03 ₩1,370

66.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.41 €37.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 €4.83

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.71 €33.54

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.33 ₩1,762

50.38%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

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

$31.4K €27.9K

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

$171 €152

$216 ₩287.8K

-21.03%

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

$10.20 €9.08

$53.7 ₩71.4K

-81.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.12 €23.23

$19.50 ₩25.9K

33.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 €41.63

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 €14.78

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 €7.74

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

$338 €301

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,643 €5,020

$25.3K ₩33.6M

-77.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 €63.6

$51.6 ₩68.6K

38.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 €27.10

$30.38 ₩40.4K

0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 €77.3

$66.5 ₩88.5K

30.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$89.7 ₩119.2K

41.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 €466

$462 ₩614.5K

13.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 €333

$381 ₩506.9K

-1.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,069

$1,369 ₩1.8M

-12.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 €968

$1,174 ₩1.6M

-7.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,033 €1,808

$10.3K ₩13.8M

-80.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,611 €1,433

$6,733 ₩9.0M

-76.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,640 €1,459

$1,856 ₩2.5M

-11.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

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

Last update for Messina: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Messina

$374 27.5%

Jeju

$381 34.5% 1.9% $7

Groceries & Markets

Messina

$287 21.1%

Jeju

$140 * 12.7% 51.2% $147

Eating Out

Messina

$225 16.5%

Jeju

$184 16.7% 18% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Messina

$207 15.3%

Jeju

$290 26.2% 39.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Messina

$142 10.5%

Jeju

$107 9.7% 24.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Messina

$64 4.7%

Jeju

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Messina

$60 4.4%

Jeju

$4.1 * 0.4% 93.2% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $524 in Messina versus $462 in Jeju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Jeju, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Messina versus $53.0 in Jeju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $140 – making Jeju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Messina

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

10:04 10:04 AM

7 h ahead of Messina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,734

469,279

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 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 EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Messina Jeju 9,330 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Messina
Jeju

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

Messina vs Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Messina is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,039 per month in Messina and $1,660 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 105% more in Messina, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Messina and $53.0 in Jeju. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,107, than in Messina at $1,359. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Messina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeju – 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 Jeju. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Messina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.