Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Ankang

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankang: $725 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Ankang
Learn more

Ankang Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Ankang

🇨🇳 China

$725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Ankang

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $725 in Ankang, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Ankang $725

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,132 in Ankang, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Ankang $1,132

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,540 in Ankang, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Ankang $1,540

Seoul costs about 147% more than Ankang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Ankang is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$1.47 ¥9.80

498.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$14.99 ¥100

356.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$2.91 ¥19.45

159.11%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,673

$2.15 ¥14.38

96.74%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$0.43 ¥2.90

279.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$0.27 ¥1.79

174.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$1.50 ¥10.02

142.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$1.48 ¥9.86

315.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.47 ¥9.84

36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$1.70 ¥11.36

84.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$0.90 ¥5.98

380.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$1.49 ¥9.97

142.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$11.41 ¥76.2

56.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$4.12 ¥27.51

153.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$10.36 ¥69.2

149.03%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$1.70 ¥11.34

350.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$1.15 ¥7.66

193.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,790

$1.24 ¥8.32

368.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,593

$1.26 ¥8.43

408.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,026

$0.68 ¥4.51

451.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,405

$0.69 ¥4.61

268.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$0.58 ¥3.84

389.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$0.55 ¥3.67

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$3.31 ¥22.14

1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$9.89 ¥66.1

86.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$0.78 ¥5.19

207.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$1.68 ¥11.21

100.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$0.32 ¥2.12

256.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$17.21 ¥115

167.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$1.25 ¥8.34

179.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$0.29 ¥1.93

117.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$4.36 ¥29.14

103.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.36 ¥9.07

11.03%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$19.3K ¥129.3K

51.31%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$17.5K ¥116.9K

61.21%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$89.3 ¥597

143.47%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$3.26 ¥21.77

978.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$10.61 ¥70.9

100.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$44.85 ¥300

29.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$13.11 ¥87.6

22.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$5.68 ¥37.96

99.12%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$679 ¥4,537

186.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$17.2K ¥115.1K

32.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$39.44 ¥264

44.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$37.19 ¥248

-10.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$74.4 ¥497

-3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$92.4 ¥618

-10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$299 ¥2,001

200.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.5K

$182 ¥1,219

235.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$616 ¥4,114

310.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$386 ¥2,580

227.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$3,279 ¥21.9K

797.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$2,225 ¥14.9K

434.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.35

21.79%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ankang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Ankang

$182 25.2% 70.2% $429

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Ankang

$193 26.6% 59.5% $284

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Ankang

$103 14.2% 62.3% $171

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Ankang

$60 8.2% 67.6% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Ankang

$110 15.1% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Ankang

$56 7.8% 30.3% $24

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Ankang

$21 2.9% 63.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $299 in Ankang. 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $15.00 in Ankang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $193 – making Ankang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Ankang

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

894,853

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Ankang 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Ankang

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

Seoul vs Ankang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 147%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,088 in Ankang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 168% less in Ankang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $679 in Ankang. 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 Ankang, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Ankang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ankang – 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 Ankang. 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.