Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quzhou and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Quzhou: $679 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Quzhou
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Quzhou Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Quzhou

🇨🇳 China

$679

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $679 per month in Quzhou vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Quzhou $679
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,133 per month in Quzhou vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Quzhou $1,133
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $1,586 per month in Quzhou vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Quzhou $1,586
Seoul $3,931

Quzhou is about 62% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quzhou sits 50% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.88 ¥19.27

$8.80 ₩11.8K

-67.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.36 ¥203

$68.4 ₩91.6K

-55.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.52 ¥30.22

$7.54 ₩10.1K

-40.05%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.27

$4.23 ₩5,664

-17.73%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$1.63 ₩2,182

-70.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.74 ₩992

-58.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$3.64 ₩4,878

-70.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 ¥21.99

$6.15 ₩8,233

-46.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.79

$2.01 ₩2,698

-12.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ¥7.46

$3.13 ₩4,194

-64.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.52

$4.32 ₩5,785

-84.26%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥10.88

$3.61 ₩4,828

-54.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 ¥101

$17.83 ₩23.9K

-14.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 ¥25.26

$10.45 ₩14.0K

-63.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$25.80 ₩34.6K

-65.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.22

$7.66 ₩10.3K

-85.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.46

$3.38 ₩4,531

-53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.02

$5.81 ₩7,778

-74.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$6.41 ₩8,580

-80.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$3.75 ₩5,018

-84.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$2.54 ₩3,400

-72.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.34

$2.84 ₩3,809

-77.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$1.11 ₩1,483

-50.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 ¥29.22

$3.35 ₩4,487

30.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 ¥54.1

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-56.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.01

$2.40 ₩3,208

-68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$3.37 ₩4,512

-56.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$1.14 ₩1,531

-74.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.07 ¥107

$46.11 ₩61.7K

-65.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$3.49 ₩4,677

-49.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.63 ₩846

-41.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.15 ¥47.80

$8.86 ₩11.9K

-19.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.51 ₩2,020

-15.89%

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

$19.1K ¥127.4K

$29.3K ₩39.2M

-34.90%

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

$18.2K ¥121.9K

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-35.41%

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

$52.0 ¥347

$218 ₩291.3K

-76.12%

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

$6.82 ¥45.58

$35.15 ₩47.1K

-80.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.09 ¥54.1

$21.29 ₩28.5K

-62.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.80 ¥253

$58.1 ₩77.8K

-34.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 ¥93.2

$16.10 ₩21.6K

-13.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ¥51.8

$11.31 ₩15.1K

-31.56%

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

$418 ¥2,798

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-78.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ¥104.5K

$22.9K ₩30.6M

-31.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 ¥416

$57.0 ₩76.4K

9.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 ¥182

$33.39 ₩44.7K

-18.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 ¥408

$71.5 ₩95.7K

-14.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 ¥345

$82.5 ₩110.5K

-37.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 ¥1,915

$901 ₩1.2M

-68.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,087

$612 ₩819.3K

-73.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ¥4,788

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-71.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 ¥2,458

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-70.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,840 ¥25.7K

$29.4K ₩39.4M

-86.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,738 ¥11.6K

$11.9K ₩15.9M

-85.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 ¥4,615

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-81.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

4.08

-22.06%

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

Last update for Quzhou: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Quzhou

$191 28.1%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 150% $286

Accommodation & Living

Quzhou

$163 23.9%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 276% $449

Eating Out

Quzhou

$93 13.8%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 96.6% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Quzhou

$91 13.4%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 21% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quzhou

$67 9.9%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 310% $207

Sport & Entertainment

Quzhou

$53 7.9%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 51.4% $27

Getting Around

Quzhou

$21 3.1%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 175% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $286 in Quzhou versus $901 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 429% 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 $30.00 in Quzhou versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $477 – making Quzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Quzhou

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:07 4:07 PM

17:07 5:07 PM

1 h ahead of Quzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,122,661

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 = 7.47 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1,339 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,499 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Quzhou Seoul 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Quzhou
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

Quzhou vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 164%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,018 per month in Quzhou and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 187% less in Quzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $418 per month in Quzhou and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quzhou, where all-in costs run around $679, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Quzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quzhou – 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 Quzhou. 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.