Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Anshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Anshan: $630 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Anshan
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Anshan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Anshan

🇨🇳 China

$630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Anshan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $630 in Anshan.

Seoul $1,794
Anshan $630

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,018 in Anshan.

Seoul $2,863
Anshan $1,018

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,406 in Anshan.

Seoul $3,931
Anshan $1,406

Living in Seoul is roughly 185% more expensive than in Anshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Anshan is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.08 ¥20.59

185.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$18.82 ¥126

263.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.36 ¥29.16

72.94%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.49 ¥16.65

69.88%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.39 ¥2.58

317.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.23 ¥1.54

221.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.78 ¥5.25

366.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.66 ¥11.09

270.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.77 ¥11.83

13.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.29 ¥8.64

142.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.35 ¥2.37

1134.29%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.06 ¥7.12

240.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$8.74 ¥58.4

104.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$1.77 ¥11.82

490.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$9.11 ¥60.9

183.21%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.06 ¥7.11

622.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.17 ¥7.82

188.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.18 ¥7.88

392.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.17 ¥7.81

447.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.31 ¥2.09

1109.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.89 ¥5.95

185.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.29 ¥1.94

879.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.43 ¥2.89

158.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.66 ¥24.45

-8.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.66 ¥51.2

141.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.77 ¥5.14

211.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.10 ¥7.38

206.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.29 ¥1.94

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$17.75 ¥119

159.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.07 ¥7.13

226.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.16 ¥1.06

293.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.92 ¥19.53

203.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.06 ¥7.07

42.45%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.5K ¥130.6K

49.83%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$15.2K ¥101.9K

85.10%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$29.30 ¥196

642.39%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$7.25 ¥48.47

384.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$14.66 ¥98.0

45.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$42.00 ¥281

38.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$15.17 ¥101

6.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.91 ¥39.53

91.37%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$221 ¥1,478

780.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$21.7K ¥144.9K

5.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$37.91 ¥253

50.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$33.24 ¥222

0.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$60.1 ¥402

18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$70.2 ¥470

17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$298 ¥1,996

201.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$184 ¥1,229

232.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$626 ¥4,187

303.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$380 ¥2,540

233.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,597 ¥24.0K

717.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,957 ¥13.1K

508.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$960 ¥6,418

280.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

104.00%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Anshan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Anshan

$184 29.2% 70% $428

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Anshan

$152 24.1% 68.1% $325

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Anshan

$51 8.1% 81.3% $223

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Anshan

$77 12.3% 57.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Anshan

$91 14.4% 17.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Anshan

$54 8.6% 33.3% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Anshan

$21 3.3% 63.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $298 in Anshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 280% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Seoul vs $19.00 in Anshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $152 per month, with Anshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Anshan

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

03:25 3:25 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,543,696

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Anshan 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Seoul vs Anshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 185% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 280% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $901 in Seoul versus $298 in Anshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Anshan – 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 $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $630 in Anshan – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $630 in Anshan versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Anshan but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Anshan 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, Seoul and Anshan 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 Anshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.