Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rizhao and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Rizhao: $667 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Rizhao
Learn more

Rizhao Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Rizhao

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $667 in Rizhao versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Rizhao $667
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,077 in Rizhao versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Rizhao $1,077
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,487 in Rizhao versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Rizhao $1,487
Seoul $3,931

Living in Rizhao costs roughly 63% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rizhao is 51% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 ¥16.95

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-71.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.14 ¥128

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-72.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 ¥32.21

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-36.07%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ¥13.05

$4.23 ₩5,624

-53.90%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$1.63 ₩2,167

-71.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.74 ₩985

-68.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.87

$3.64 ₩4,843

-75.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥13.21

$6.15 ₩8,175

-67.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$2.01 ₩2,679

-27.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥9.87

$3.13 ₩4,164

-52.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$4.32 ₩5,744

-89.35%

Eggs

$1.07 ¥7.14

$3.61 ₩4,794

-70.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-34.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ¥22.32

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-68.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.9

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-56.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-80.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.81

$3.38 ₩4,499

-69.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$5.81 ₩7,723

-86.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.65

$6.41 ₩8,520

-82.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.87

$3.75 ₩4,983

-84.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.57

$2.54 ₩3,375

-73.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.85

$2.84 ₩3,782

-79.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.11 ₩1,472

-43.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 ¥24.45

$3.35 ₩4,455

9.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 ¥66.8

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-45.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.81

$2.40 ₩3,185

-70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ¥9.08

$3.37 ₩4,480

-59.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$1.14 ₩1,521

-74.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.44 ¥117

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-62.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ¥8.20

$3.49 ₩4,643

-64.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ¥1.67

$0.63 ₩840

-60.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 ¥30.21

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-48.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥7.92

$1.51 ₩2,005

-21.19%

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

$19.1K ¥127.6K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-34.79%

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

$14.8K ¥99.1K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-47.46%

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

$73.5 ¥491

$218 ₩289.2K

-66.21%

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

$6.63 ¥44.30

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-81.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.18 ¥34.65

$21.29 ₩28.3K

-75.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.51 ¥244

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-37.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-17.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ¥35.87

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-52.61%

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

$218 ¥1,458

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-88.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-13.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.08 ¥228

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-40.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.15 ¥289

$33.39 ₩44.4K

29.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ¥476

$71.5 ₩95.0K

-0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ¥464

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 ¥1,999

$901 ₩1.2M

-66.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,090

$612 ₩813.5K

-73.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,167

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-75.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥2,505

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-70.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,578 ¥23.9K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-87.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,144 ¥14.3K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-81.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

4.08

-23.28%

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

Last update for Rizhao: 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

Rizhao

$183 27.4%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 161% $294

Accommodation & Living

Rizhao

$163 24.4%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 275% $449

Clothing & Footwear

Rizhao

$98 14.7%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 12.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rizhao

$85 12.8%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 221% $189

Eating Out

Rizhao

$69 10.4%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 165% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Rizhao

$47 7.1%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 70.8% $33

Getting Around

Rizhao

$21 3.2%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 172% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $299 in Rizhao and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Rizhao vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $477 per month, with Rizhao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Rizhao

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

14:21 2:21 PM

15:21 3:21 PM

1 h ahead of Rizhao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,143,000

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rizhao Seoul 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rizhao
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

Rizhao vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rizhao and Seoul differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($667 vs $1,794 including rent). Rizhao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,000 in Rizhao and $2,692 in Seoul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $299 in Rizhao versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rizhao – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $667 per month in Rizhao versus $1,794 in Seoul – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $667 in Rizhao versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rizhao but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Rizhao 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, Rizhao 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 Rizhao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.