Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sangju and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sangju: $1,377 a month against $1,829 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Sangju
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Sangju Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Sangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,377

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,377 per month in Sangju vs $1,829 in Seoul, rent included.

Sangju $1,377
Seoul $1,829

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Sangju vs $2,973 in Seoul, rent included.

Sangju $2,181
Seoul $2,973

A family of three spends $2,984 per month in Sangju vs $4,116 in Seoul, rent included.

Sangju $2,984
Seoul $4,116

Sangju is about 25% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sangju and Seoul sit above the global median – Sangju by 2%, Seoul by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.13 ₩8,221

$8.87 ₩11.9K

-30.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.02 ₩45.6K

$69.4 ₩93.1K

-51.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.72 ₩9,005

$7.50 ₩10.1K

-10.40%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₩4,771

$4.04 ₩5,418

-11.88%

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

$1.52 ₩2,037

$1.56 ₩2,087

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₩827

$0.73 ₩983

-15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 ₩4,664

$3.66 ₩4,900

-4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₩5,902

$5.88 ₩7,879

-25.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,917

$2.08 ₩2,790

4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,090

$3.01 ₩4,034

1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,600

$4.18 ₩5,608

-35.65%

Eggs

$3.24 ₩4,342

$3.63 ₩4,871

-10.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.65 ₩21.0K

$17.87 ₩24.0K

-12.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$10.32 ₩13.8K

1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 ₩14.7K

$26.17 ₩35.1K

-58.08%

Apples (1kg)

$6.91 ₩9,263

$7.42 ₩9,942

-6.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,398

$3.45 ₩4,627

-26.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 ₩5,863

$5.60 ₩7,502

-21.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 ₩9,564

$6.29 ₩8,429

13.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,393

$3.60 ₩4,829

-8.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 ₩3,588

$2.51 ₩3,360

6.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$2.77 ₩3,718

-27.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₩1,691

$1.14 ₩1,529

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 ₩4,355

$3.42 ₩4,588

-4.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 ₩18.4K

$18.60 ₩24.9K

-26.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₩3,142

$2.30 ₩3,090

1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₩4,910

$3.34 ₩4,480

9.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ₩1,363

$1.12 ₩1,501

-8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 ₩62.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,823

$3.60 ₩4,825

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩815

$0.60 ₩807

1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.78 ₩11.8K

$8.87 ₩11.9K

-1.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,810

$1.49 ₩1,998

-9.40%

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

$29.0K ₩38.8M

$29.7K ₩39.8M

-2.43%

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

$35.8K ₩48.0M

$28.0K ₩37.5M

27.89%

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

$210 ₩282.1K

$216 ₩289.3K

-2.50%

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

$42.49 ₩57.0K

$34.52 ₩46.3K

23.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.41 ₩27.4K

$20.34 ₩27.3K

0.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.18 ₩64.6K

$59.2 ₩79.4K

-18.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.82 ₩17.2K

$15.93 ₩21.4K

-19.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.07 ₩14.8K

$11.01 ₩14.8K

0.54%

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

$303 ₩406.2K

$1,962 ₩2.6M

-84.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₩23.3M

$26.3K ₩35.2M

-33.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ₩86.0K

$62.3 ₩83.5K

2.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.0 ₩84.4K

$33.82 ₩45.3K

86.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ₩101.1K

$67.9 ₩91.0K

11.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ₩133.1K

$82.9 ₩111.1K

19.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ₩638.4K

$918 ₩1.2M

-48.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₩461.0K

$654 ₩876.2K

-47.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 ₩1.8M

$3,093 ₩4.1M

-57.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₩1.1M

$1,457 ₩2.0M

-43.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,815 ₩9.1M

$28.4K ₩38.1M

-76.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,434 ₩7.3M

$11.4K ₩15.3M

-52.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,470 ₩2.0M

$3,496 ₩4.7M

-57.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

4.08

0.49%

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

Last update for Sangju: November 1, 2026

Last update for Seoul: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sangju

$396 28.8%

Seoul

$474 25.9% 19.5% $77

Accommodation & Living

Sangju

$344 25%

Seoul

$654 35.7% 90.1% $310

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sangju

$273 19.9%

Seoul

$271 14.8% 1% $2.6

Eating Out

Sangju

$147 10.7%

Seoul

$181 9.9% 23.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Sangju

$136 9.9%

Seoul

$111 6.1% 18.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sangju

$70 5.1%

Seoul

$81 4.4% 15.5% $11

Getting Around

Sangju

$11 * 0.8%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 440% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Sangju versus $918 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 in Seoul are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Sangju versus $69 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $396 vs $474 – making Sangju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Sangju

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

Same time as Sangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,947

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sangju
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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

Sangju vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,065 per month in Sangju and $2,744 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sangju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $476 there versus $918 in Seoul.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Sangju and $69 in Seoul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Seoul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Sangju – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sangju. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.