Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Baoding

For one person, living is cheaper in Baoding: $697 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Baoding
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Baoding Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Baoding

🇨🇳 China

$697

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Baoding

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $697 in Baoding, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Baoding $697

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,112 in Baoding, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Baoding $1,112

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,526 in Baoding, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Baoding $1,526

Seoul costs about 157% more than Baoding, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Baoding is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$1.77 ¥11.84

397.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$17.67 ¥118

286.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$4.94 ¥33.04

52.63%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$1.31 ¥8.74

222.90%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.50 ¥3.31

226.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.21 ¥1.40

252.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$0.74 ¥4.95

391.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$1.29 ¥8.66

376.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.53 ¥10.20

31.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$1.71 ¥11.42

83.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$0.78 ¥5.24

453.85%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$0.83 ¥5.54

334.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$14.50 ¥96.9

22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$1.84 ¥12.29

467.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$7.63 ¥51.0

238.14%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$0.77 ¥5.13

894.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$0.57 ¥3.83

492.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$2.00 ¥13.40

190.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$0.63 ¥4.18

917.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.46 ¥3.10

715.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$0.63 ¥4.21

303.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.75 ¥5.04

278.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.43 ¥2.88

158.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$4.34 ¥29.03

-22.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$13.89 ¥92.9

33.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.61 ¥4.09

293.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.07 ¥7.14

214.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.21 ¥1.40

442.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$18.06 ¥121

155.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.36 ¥9.12

156.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.32 ¥2.16

96.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$7.68 ¥51.3

15.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.14 ¥7.61

32.46%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$19.2K ¥128.6K

52.17%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$17.9K ¥119.7K

57.63%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$58.5 ¥391

271.96%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$4.61 ¥30.81

662.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$4.46 ¥29.81

377.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$42.42 ¥284

36.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$15.34 ¥103

4.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.16 ¥34.48

119.19%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$651 ¥4,351

199.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$24.6K ¥164.2K

-6.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$71.8 ¥480

-20.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$40.53 ¥271

-17.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$86.1 ¥576

-16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$125 ¥838

-34.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$297 ¥1,987

203.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$179 ¥1,197

241.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$637 ¥4,261

296.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$379 ¥2,537

233.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$3,459 ¥23.1K

750.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,938 ¥13.0K

514.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,284 ¥8,584

184.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.12

30.77%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Baoding: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Baoding

$179 25.7% 70.7% $433

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Baoding

$177 25.3% 63% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Baoding

$68 9.7% 75.3% $206

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Baoding

$54 7.7% 70.7% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Baoding

$146 20.9% 32.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Baoding

$53 7.6% 34.6% $28

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Baoding

$22 3.1% 61.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $297 in Baoding. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 184% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $18.00 in Baoding. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $177 – making Baoding the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Baoding

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

12:59 12:59 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

11,437,217

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1,339 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,499 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Baoding 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Baoding

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 Baoding: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $697 in Baoding – roughly 157% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,046 in Baoding. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 155% less in Baoding. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $651 in Baoding. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Baoding, where all-in costs run around $697, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Baoding it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Baoding – 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 Baoding. 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.