Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bengbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bengbu: $666 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Bengbu
Learn more

Bengbu Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Bengbu

🇨🇳 China

$666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Bengbu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $666 in Bengbu.

Seoul $1,794
Bengbu $666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,043 in Bengbu.

Seoul $2,863
Bengbu $1,043

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,420 in Bengbu.

Seoul $3,931
Bengbu $1,420

Living in Seoul is roughly 170% more expensive than in Bengbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Bengbu is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.31 ¥15.42

280.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$10.50 ¥70.2

551.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$4.76 ¥31.81

58.40%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$3.15 ¥21.09

34.29%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.47 ¥3.16

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.25 ¥1.66

196.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$1.45 ¥9.67

151.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$2.21 ¥14.75

178.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$2.18 ¥14.57

-7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$1.02 ¥6.82

206.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$0.72 ¥4.85

500.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$1.32 ¥8.83

173.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$10.42 ¥69.7

71.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$3.04 ¥20.30

243.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$9.00 ¥60.2

186.67%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$1.50 ¥10.03

410.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$1.07 ¥7.13

215.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$1.52 ¥10.16

282.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$0.78 ¥5.22

721.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.62 ¥4.16

504.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$0.63 ¥4.20

303.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.76 ¥5.09

273.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.43 ¥2.90

158.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$2.93 ¥19.57

14.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$6.10 ¥40.82

203.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.76 ¥5.11

215.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.47 ¥9.86

129.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.31 ¥2.09

267.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$20.48 ¥137

125.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.61 ¥10.76

116.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.38 ¥2.57

65.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$9.15 ¥61.2

-3.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.29 ¥8.66

17.05%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$19.2K ¥128.4K

52.44%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$16.6K ¥111.3K

69.56%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$36.70 ¥245

492.70%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$5.39 ¥36.02

552.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$7.07 ¥47.25

201.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$41.28 ¥276

40.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$16.25 ¥109

-0.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.99 ¥40.08

88.81%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$417 ¥2,789

367.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$22.1K ¥148.0K

3.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$43.41 ¥290

31.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$33.77 ¥226

-1.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$66.1 ¥442

8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$88.5 ¥592

-6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$294 ¥1,969

205.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$181 ¥1,209

238.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$586 ¥3,921

330.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$349 ¥2,335

262.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$3,507 ¥23.5K

738.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$2,194 ¥14.7K

442.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$668 ¥4,469

446.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.42

19.30%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Bengbu

$181 27.2% 70.4% $431

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Bengbu

$168 25.2% 64.8% $309

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Bengbu

$49 7.4% 82.1% $225

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Bengbu

$85 12.8% 53.7% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Bengbu

$104 15.7% 5.2% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Bengbu

$53 8% 34% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Bengbu

$25 3.8% 55.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $294 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 446% 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 $11.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $168 per month, with Bengbu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Bengbu

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

3,296,408

💱 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 = 1,500 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 →

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

From you

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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 Bengbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 170% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 446% 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 $294 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $417 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 184% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $666 in Bengbu versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu 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 Bengbu 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 Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.