Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Benxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $710 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
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Benxi Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Benxi

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $710 in Benxi, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Benxi $710

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,027 in Benxi, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Benxi $1,027

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,344 in Benxi, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Benxi $1,344

Seoul costs about 153% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Benxi is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.06 ¥20.47

187.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$22.56 ¥151

203.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.36 ¥35.83

40.67%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.42 ¥16.19

74.79%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.47 ¥3.14

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.29 ¥1.94

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.77 ¥5.16

372.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.75 ¥11.70

251.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.88 ¥12.58

6.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.18 ¥7.91

165.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.86 ¥5.73

402.33%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.61 ¥10.73

124.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$9.96 ¥66.6

79.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$2.98 ¥19.92

250.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$8.87 ¥59.3

190.87%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.61 ¥10.74

375.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.40 ¥9.33

141.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.68 ¥11.23

245.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.37 ¥9.14

367.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.62 ¥4.15

504.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.84 ¥12.32

38.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.62 ¥4.11

358.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.70 ¥4.69

58.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.95 ¥19.73

13.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.36 ¥55.9

121.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.63 ¥4.21

280.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.29 ¥8.61

161.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.31 ¥2.08

267.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.18 ¥81.4

278.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.93 ¥6.21

275.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.31 ¥2.09

103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$3.03 ¥20.29

192.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.13 ¥7.55

33.63%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.1K ¥127.8K

53.16%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$17.6K ¥117.8K

60.06%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$54.5 ¥364

299.49%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$6.90 ¥46.10

409.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$10.40 ¥69.6

104.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$67.7 ¥452

-14.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$8.23 ¥55.1

95.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.81 ¥38.82

94.66%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$440 ¥2,941

342.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,949 ¥59.8K

155.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$30.00 ¥201

90.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$83.4 ¥558

-59.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$59.8 ¥399

19.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$52.0 ¥348

58.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$134 ¥899

570.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$181 ¥1,212

237.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$257 ¥1,718

883.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$149 ¥995

750.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,794 ¥25.4K

675.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,967 ¥13.2K

505.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$457 ¥3,055

698.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.00%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Benxi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Benxi

$181 25.5% 70.4% $431

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Benxi

$181 25.4% 62.1% $296

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Benxi

$72 10.1% 73.8% $202

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Benxi

$80 11.3% 56.5% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Benxi

$101 14.3% 7.9% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Benxi

$79 11.2% 1.7% $1.4

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Benxi

$16 2.2% 72.2% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $134 in Benxi. 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 699% 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 $23.00 in Benxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $181 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Benxi

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

809,655

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 153% more than Benxi, 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 $1,065 in Benxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $440 in Benxi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 164% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Benxi – 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 Benxi. 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.