Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Beihai

For one person, living is cheaper in Beihai: $744 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Beihai
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Beihai Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Beihai

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Beihai

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $744 in Beihai, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Beihai $744

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,167 in Beihai, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Beihai $1,167

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,590 in Beihai, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Beihai $1,590

Seoul costs about 141% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Beihai is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$3.40 ¥22.75

158.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$19.56 ¥131

249.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$5.58 ¥37.31

35.13%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$2.43 ¥16.28

74.07%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.46 ¥3.09

254.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.30 ¥1.99

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$1.22 ¥8.14

198.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$2.29 ¥15.34

168.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.90 ¥12.69

5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$1.70 ¥11.36

84.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$1.10 ¥7.33

292.73%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$1.87 ¥12.53

93.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$13.95 ¥93.3

27.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$2.92 ¥19.54

257.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$10.58 ¥70.8

143.86%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$2.10 ¥14.03

264.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$1.48 ¥9.91

128.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$1.52 ¥10.19

282.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$1.27 ¥8.48

404.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.74 ¥4.92

406.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$0.97 ¥6.46

161.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.67 ¥4.47

323.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.50 ¥3.33

122.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$3.39 ¥22.70

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$12.05 ¥80.6

53.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.74 ¥4.95

224.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.66 ¥11.10

103.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.30 ¥2.02

280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$17.17 ¥115

168.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.56 ¥10.42

123.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.31 ¥2.08

103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$6.21 ¥41.53

42.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.39 ¥9.31

8.63%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$18.2K ¥121.6K

60.97%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$18.2K ¥121.9K

54.70%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$61.5 ¥411

253.52%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$9.42 ¥63.0

273.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$12.09 ¥80.9

76.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$40.99 ¥274

41.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$14.01 ¥93.7

14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.71 ¥38.20

98.07%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$458 ¥3,065

325.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$18.3K ¥122.6K

24.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$48.58 ¥325

17.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$38.03 ¥254

-12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$79.9 ¥534

-10.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$79.0 ¥528

4.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$279 ¥1,863

223.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$178 ¥1,190

243.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$718 ¥4,804

251.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$332 ¥2,221

281.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$3,665 ¥24.5K

702.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$2,221 ¥14.9K

435.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.36

21.43%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Beihai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Beihai

$178 23.9% 70.9% $434

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Beihai

$212 28.5% 55.6% $265

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Beihai

$83 11.2% 69.7% $191

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Beihai

$87 11.7% 52.7% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Beihai

$110 14.9% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Beihai

$52 7% 35% $28

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Beihai

$22 2.9% 62.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $279 in Beihai. 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 $20.00 in Beihai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $212 – making Beihai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Beihai

🕒 Local time

14:45 2:45 PM

13:45 1:45 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,617,500

💱 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 Beihai 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Beihai

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 Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 141% more than Beihai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,116 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 125% more in Seoul, 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 $68.0 in Seoul and $20.00 in Beihai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beihai – 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 Beihai. 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.