Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qingdao, Shandong and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Qingdao, Shandong: $756 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Qingdao, Shandong
Learn more

Qingdao, Shandong Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Qingdao, Shandong

🇨🇳 China

$756

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $756 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $1,822 in Seoul, rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $756
Seoul $1,822

A couple spends around $1,233 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $2,847 in Seoul, rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,233
Seoul $2,847

A family of three spends $1,709 per month in Qingdao, Shandong vs $3,872 in Seoul, rent included.

Qingdao, Shandong $1,709
Seoul $3,872

Qingdao, Shandong is about 58% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Qingdao, Shandong sits 44% below the global median, while Seoul is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.91 ¥19.43

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-68.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.98 ¥120

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-73.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ¥29.79

$7.42 ₩9,941

-39.89%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ¥17.78

$4.08 ₩5,470

-34.80%

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

$0.54 ¥3.64

$1.60 ₩2,141

-66.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.15

$0.80 ₩1,078

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ¥7.42

$3.65 ₩4,886

-69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ¥17.82

$5.94 ₩7,956

-55.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ¥12.73

$2.05 ₩2,742

-6.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ¥9.05

$3.08 ₩4,130

-56.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$4.21 ₩5,646

-76.96%

Eggs

$1.29 ¥8.63

$3.57 ₩4,784

-63.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.27 ¥109

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-9.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 ¥29.12

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-59.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ¥64.6

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-63.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$7.42 ₩9,946

-81.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥7.99

$3.53 ₩4,732

-66.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.55

$5.87 ₩7,866

-70.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.39

$6.37 ₩8,534

-80.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.53

$3.75 ₩5,028

-81.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.44

$2.49 ₩3,337

-61.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$2.92 ₩3,911

-67.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$1.15 ₩1,542

-46.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 ¥25.34

$3.29 ₩4,408

15.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 ¥98.2

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥6.75

$2.28 ₩3,057

-55.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.50

$3.28 ₩4,398

-52.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$1.14 ₩1,526

-72.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.25 ¥122

$45.47 ₩60.9K

-59.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ¥10.03

$3.48 ₩4,663

-56.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.60 ₩803

-31.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

$8.70 ₩11.7K

4.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.50 ₩2,004

-12.67%

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

$19.1K ¥127.4K

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-34.55%

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

$16.6K ¥110.7K

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-41.26%

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

$69.2 ¥463

$209 ₩279.9K

-66.85%

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

$6.73 ¥44.95

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-80.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.73 ¥51.7

$21.18 ₩28.4K

-63.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.95 ¥140

$57.3 ₩76.8K

-63.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 ¥122

$15.89 ₩21.3K

14.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 ¥41.79

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-44.84%

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

$365 ¥2,439

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-80.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ¥117.4K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-22.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 ¥351

$58.9 ₩78.9K

-10.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.25 ¥329

$32.12 ₩43.0K

53.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ¥628

$70.1 ₩94.0K

33.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥609

$82.5 ₩110.5K

10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 ¥2,362

$885 ₩1.2M

-60.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ¥1,328

$624 ₩835.5K

-68.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 ¥5,056

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-69.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥2,796

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-67.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,573 ¥23.9K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-88.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,172 ¥14.5K

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-81.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,196 ¥7,995

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-67.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

4.08

-17.40%

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

Last update for Qingdao, Shandong: October 6, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Qingdao, Shandong

$221 28.7%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 117% $258

Accommodation & Living

Qingdao, Shandong

$199 25.7%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 214% $425

Clothing & Footwear

Qingdao, Shandong

$129 16.7%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 15.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qingdao, Shandong

$84 10.8%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 217% $181

Eating Out

Qingdao, Shandong

$83 10.7%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 122% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Qingdao, Shandong

$33 4.3%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 139% $47

Getting Around

Qingdao, Shandong

$23 3%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 145% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $353 in Qingdao, Shandong 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.

Salaries run about 205% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $479 – making Qingdao, Shandong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Qingdao, Shandong

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

13:40 1:40 PM

1 h ahead of Qingdao, Shandong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,071,722

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 = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Qingdao, Shandong Seoul 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Qingdao, Shandong
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

Qingdao, Shandong vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 141%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,134 per month in Qingdao, Shandong 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 Qingdao, Shandong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 116% more in Seoul, 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 $18.00 in Qingdao, Shandong and $67.0 in Seoul. 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 Qingdao, Shandong, where all-in costs run around $756, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Qingdao, Shandong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qingdao, Shandong – 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 Qingdao, Shandong. 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.