Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,107 a month against $1,405 in Seongnam, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. The total is higher in Seongnam despite lower rent and utilities.

68

Cost of Living Index in Seongnam
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Seongnam Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
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Jeju Living Index

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Seongnam

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,405

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seongnam and in Jeju

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seongnam and in Jeju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,405 per month in Seongnam vs $1,107 in Jeju, rent included.

Seongnam $1,405
Jeju $1,107

A couple spends around $2,330 per month in Seongnam vs $1,900 in Jeju, rent included.

Seongnam $2,330
Jeju $1,900

A family of three spends $3,255 per month in Seongnam vs $2,694 in Jeju, rent included.

Seongnam $3,255
Jeju $2,694

Seongnam costs about 27% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seongnam sits 4% above the global median, while Jeju is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.61 ₩8,787

$7.40 ₩9,835

-10.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.26 ₩53.5K

$53.2 ₩70.7K

-24.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₩8,870

$5.44 ₩7,233

22.61%

Cappuccino

$4.16 ₩5,528

$5.75 ₩7,640

-27.65%

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

$1.59 ₩2,120

$2.21 ₩2,945

-28.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₩1,093

$1.94 ₩2,575

-57.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 ₩4,727

$3.44 ₩4,578

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,065

$3.05 ₩4,050

24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,005

$2.26 ₩2,998

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,098

$2.30 ₩3,060

33.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,779

$2.21 ₩2,941

62.44%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,804

$2.59 ₩3,444

39.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 ₩12.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 ₩10.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.02 ₩27.9K

Apples (1kg)

$7.75 ₩10.3K

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 ₩4,552

$2.16 ₩2,867

58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,808

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 ₩9,288

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,793

$3.04 ₩4,047

18.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,354

$1.85 ₩2,454

36.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 ₩3,725

$2.19 ₩2,908

27.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,766

$0.47 ₩620

182.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ₩4,584

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ₩24.5K

$11.22 ₩14.9K

64.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ₩2,776

$1.87 ₩2,490

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₩2,422

$1.65 ₩2,200

10.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₩1,368

$1.03 ₩1,370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,841

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩876

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,811

$1.33 ₩1,762

2.26%

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

$29.3K ₩39.0M

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

$28.4K ₩37.8M

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

$207 ₩275.9K

$216 ₩287.8K

-4.15%

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

$36.39 ₩48.4K

$53.7 ₩71.4K

-32.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.67 ₩27.5K

$19.50 ₩25.9K

6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.09 ₩16.1K

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 ₩14.6K

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

$532 ₩707.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.5M

$25.3K ₩33.6M

-30.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ₩76.6K

$51.6 ₩68.6K

11.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.21 ₩42.8K

$30.38 ₩40.4K

6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ₩92.6K

$66.5 ₩88.5K

4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 ₩108.8K

$89.7 ₩119.2K

-8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ₩635.4K

$462 ₩614.5K

3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₩486.9K

$381 ₩506.9K

-3.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 ₩1.6M

$1,369 ₩1.8M

-14.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 ₩1.4M

$1,174 ₩1.6M

-11.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,163 ₩9.5M

$10.3K ₩13.8M

-30.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,429 ₩7.2M

$6,733 ₩9.0M

-19.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,856 ₩2.5M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Seongnam: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Seongnam

$423 30.1%

Jeju

$140 * 12.7% 66.9% $283

Accommodation & Living

Seongnam

$366 26.1%

Jeju

$381 34.5% 4.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seongnam

$265 18.8%

Jeju

$290 26.2% 9.5% $25

Eating Out

Seongnam

$158 11.2%

Jeju

$184 16.7% 16.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Seongnam

$109 7.7%

Jeju

$107 9.7% 1.3% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Seongnam

$74 5.2%

Jeju

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Seongnam

$11 * 0.8%

Jeju

$4.1 * 0.4% 62.7% $6.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Seongnam versus $462 in Jeju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Seongnam versus $53.0 in Jeju. Groceries tell a different story – $423 in Seongnam vs $140 in Jeju – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seongnam

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

Same time as Seongnam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

967,510

469,279

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Seongnam Jeju 440 km

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Seongnam
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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

Seongnam vs Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seongnam is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,108 per month in Seongnam and $1,660 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 202% more in Seongnam, 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 $40.00 in Seongnam and $53.0 in Jeju. 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 Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,107, than in Seongnam at $1,405. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seongnam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeju – 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 Jeju. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seongnam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.