Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanning and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanning: $730 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Nanning
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Nanning Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Nanning

🇨🇳 China

$730

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in Nanning versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Nanning $730
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,171 in Nanning versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Nanning $1,171
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,612 in Nanning versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Nanning $1,612
Seoul $3,931

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ¥20.41

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-65.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.18 ¥135

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-70.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 ¥36.78

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-27.06%

Cappuccino

$2.37 ¥15.82

$4.23 ₩5,624

-43.97%

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

$0.60 ¥4.00

$1.63 ₩2,167

-63.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.74 ₩985

-60.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.86

$3.64 ₩4,843

-75.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.56

$6.15 ₩8,175

-64.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ¥14.55

$2.01 ₩2,679

8.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 ¥15.39

$3.13 ₩4,164

-26.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.53

$4.32 ₩5,744

-73.84%

Eggs

$2.00 ¥13.36

$3.61 ₩4,794

-44.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ¥69.1

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-42.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.97 ¥26.51

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-62.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 ¥118

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-31.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-76.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$3.38 ₩4,499

-62.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.05

$5.81 ₩7,723

-74.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$6.41 ₩8,520

-73.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.55

$3.75 ₩4,983

-73.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$2.54 ₩3,375

-53.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$2.84 ₩3,782

-79.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.02

$1.11 ₩1,472

-45.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 ¥27.37

$3.35 ₩4,455

22.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$2.40 ₩3,185

-62.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.43

$3.37 ₩4,480

-53.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ¥3.62

$1.14 ₩1,521

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.81 ¥106

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-65.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 ¥8.86

$3.49 ₩4,643

-62.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.63 ₩840

-31.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 ¥50.1

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-15.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.79

$1.51 ₩2,005

-12.58%

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

$23.0K ¥153.6K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-21.52%

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

$13.2K ¥88.4K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-53.15%

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

$33.88 ¥227

$218 ₩289.2K

-84.42%

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

$14.13 ¥94.5

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-59.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.83 ¥72.4

$21.29 ₩28.3K

-49.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ¥494

$58.1 ₩77.2K

27.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.66 ¥51.2

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-52.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ¥45.24

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-40.14%

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

$303 ¥2,024

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-84.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,424 ¥29.6K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-80.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.13 ¥135

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-64.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.01 ¥201

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-10.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.0 ¥428

$71.5 ₩95.0K

-10.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥498

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-9.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ¥1,681

$901 ₩1.2M

-72.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 ¥1,016

$612 ₩813.5K

-75.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,572

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-84.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥1,993

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-76.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,545 ¥23.7K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-87.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,534 ¥10.3K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-87.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$682 ¥4,562

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-81.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.63

4.08

-11.03%

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

Last update for Nanning: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nanning

$244 33.4%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 95.4% $233

Accommodation & Living

Nanning

$152 20.8%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 303% $460

Sport & Entertainment

Nanning

$87 12%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 7.7% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nanning

$85 11.6%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 29.6% $25

Eating Out

Nanning

$82 11.2%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 125% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanning

$59 8.1%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 366% $215

Getting Around

Nanning

$21 2.9%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 167% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in Nanning and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 435% 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: $20.00 in Nanning vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $477 per month, with Nanning cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nanning

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

14:37 2:37 PM

1 h ahead of Nanning

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,741,584

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 19, 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 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nanning Seoul 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nanning
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

Nanning vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanning and Seoul differ by about 146% in total monthly costs ($730 vs $1,794 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 435% 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: $251 in Nanning versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nanning runs roughly 192% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Nanning versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $730 in Nanning versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanning but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Nanning 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, Nanning 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 Nanning 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.