Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Kingston, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Seongnam: $1,418 a month against $1,677 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Seongnam
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Seongnam Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Seongnam

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,418

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seongnam and in Kingston

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 Kingston actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,418 in Seongnam versus $1,677 in Kingston.

Seongnam $1,418
Kingston $1,677

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Seongnam versus $2,829 in Kingston.

Seongnam $2,361
Kingston $2,829

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,305 in Seongnam versus $3,980 in Kingston.

Seongnam $3,305
Kingston $3,980

Living in Seongnam costs roughly 15% less than in Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seongnam 4% above, Kingston 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 ₩9,271

$13.80 JMD 2,180

-49.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 ₩55.5K

$75.1 JMD 11.9K

-44.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 ₩9,112

$8.31 JMD 1,312

-17.81%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ₩5,372

$5.36 JMD 847

-24.81%

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

$1.56 ₩2,077

$1.19 JMD 188

31.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₩1,008

$0.74 JMD 117

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 ₩4,709

$2.26 JMD 358

56.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,079

$3.23 JMD 511

17.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₩3,081

$4.23 JMD 668

-45.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 ₩4,244

$3.86 JMD 610

-17.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,945

$1.64 JMD 259

126.22%

Eggs

$3.67 ₩4,890

$3.59 JMD 567

2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 ₩12.2K

$11.55 JMD 1,824

-20.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 ₩10.7K

$6.23 JMD 985

29.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.41 ₩27.2K

$10.22 JMD 1,615

99.71%

Apples (1kg)

$7.56 ₩10.1K

$6.07 JMD 958

24.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,747

$3.87 JMD 612

-8.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.65 ₩7,532

$7.25 JMD 1,146

-22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.81 ₩9,088

$3.10 JMD 489

119.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,008

$3.18 JMD 502

18.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ₩3,498

$2.68 JMD 423

-2.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 ₩3,911

$3.10 JMD 489

-5.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₩1,795

$1.43 JMD 227

-5.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 ₩4,638

$9.33 JMD 1,474

-62.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 ₩25.3K

$11.26 JMD 1,779

68.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₩2,798

$2.77 JMD 438

-24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₩2,571

$4.04 JMD 639

-52.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,452

$0.61 JMD 96.5

78.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.10 JMD 6,019

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ₩4,864

$1.28 JMD 203

185.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩892

$3.22 JMD 509

-79.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$6.37 JMD 1,006

37.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₩1,855

$1.42 JMD 224

-2.11%

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

$30.0K ₩40.0M

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

-31.79%

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

$28.1K ₩37.4M

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-14.37%

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

$215 ₩286.6K

$170 JMD 26.8K

26.76%

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

$36.76 ₩49.0K

$29.16 JMD 4,608

26.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.23 ₩28.3K

$53.8 JMD 8,496

-60.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₩73.4K

$61.7 JMD 9,742

-10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 ₩18.8K

$17.76 JMD 2,806

-20.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.2K

$13.46 JMD 2,127

-15.45%

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

$379 ₩505.6K

$363 JMD 57.4K

4.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₩24.1M

$8,388 JMD 1.3M

115.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ₩76.9K

$23.39 JMD 3,695

146.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.54 ₩43.4K

$31.37 JMD 4,956

3.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₩95.2K

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

-7.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.4 ₩112.6K

$102 JMD 16.1K

-17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₩650.4K

$958 JMD 151.3K

-49.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₩480.4K

$562 JMD 88.8K

-35.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ₩1.5M

$2,100 JMD 331.9K

-44.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 ₩1.4M

$1,422 JMD 224.7K

-26.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,247 ₩9.7M

$2,849 JMD 450.1K

154.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,589 ₩7.5M

$2,072 JMD 327.4K

169.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 JMD 118.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

9.45

-56.83%

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

Last update for Seongnam: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Seongnam

$426 30%

Kingston

$385 23% 9.5% $40

Accommodation & Living

Seongnam

$360 25.4%

Kingston

$562 33.5% 56% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seongnam

$273 19.3%

Kingston

$252 15.1% 7.5% $20

Eating Out

Seongnam

$159 11.2%

Kingston

$225 13.4% 41.6% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Seongnam

$111 7.8%

Kingston

$105 6.3% 4.9% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Seongnam

$78 5.5%

Kingston

$89 5.3% 13.8% $11

Getting Around

Seongnam

$11 * 0.8%

Kingston

$58 3.5% 411% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $488 in Seongnam and $958 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Seongnam vs $75 in Kingston. Groceries flip the comparison at $426 vs $385, with Kingston cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seongnam

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

21:24 9:24 PM

14 h behind Seongnam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

967,510

660,000 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,489 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seongnam Kingston 13,370 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Seongnam
Kingston

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seongnam wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Seongnam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,127 in Seongnam and $2,515 in Kingston 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: $488 in Seongnam versus $958 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kingston pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,418 per month in Seongnam versus $1,677 in Kingston – Seongnam is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Seongnam gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.