Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Chang-hua

For one person, living is cheaper in Chang-hua: $864 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
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Chang-hua Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Chang-hua

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 Chang-hua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $864 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Chang-hua $864

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,343 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Chang-hua $1,343

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,822 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Chang-hua $1,822

Seoul costs about 108% more than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Chang-hua is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.83 NT$124

129.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$32.76 NT$1,062

108.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.53 NT$179

36.35%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.63 NT$52.7

159.51%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.96 NT$30.99

69.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.56 NT$18.01

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.36 NT$44.21

167.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.17 NT$70.3

183.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.38 NT$77.1

-15.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.07 NT$67.2

51.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.94 NT$95.5

46.94%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.76 NT$89.5

30.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$16.19 NT$525

10.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$9.51 NT$308

9.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$21.23 NT$688

21.53%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$4.82 NT$156

58.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$3.38 NT$110

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.93 NT$95.1

98.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$3.17 NT$103

102.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.77 NT$89.8

35.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.11 NT$68.4

20.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.69 NT$54.9

68.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.77 NT$24.97

44.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.96 NT$128

-15.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$9.43 NT$306

96.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.38 NT$44.70

73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.29 NT$74.4

47.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$1.55 NT$50.4

-26.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$34.80 NT$1,129

32.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$2.65 NT$85.9

31.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.76 NT$24.71

-17.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$9.29 NT$301

-4.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.06 NT$34.39

42.45%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$33.1K NT$1.1M

-11.67%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$24.3K NT$787.5K

16.16%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$31.62 NT$1,025

587.92%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$16.99 NT$551

106.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$18.71 NT$607

13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$31.75 NT$1,029

82.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$9.38 NT$304

20.58%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$636 NT$20.6K

206.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$7,946 NT$257.7K

187.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$49.35 NT$1,600

15.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$15.47 NT$502

115.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$78.1 NT$2,534

-8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$49.57 NT$1,607

66.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$252 NT$8,160

257.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$170 NT$5,528

258.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$509 NT$16.5K

396.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$169 NT$5,480

649.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,959 NT$96.0K

894.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,631 NT$52.9K

629.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,011 NT$65.2K

81.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.2

85.45%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Chang-hua

$170 19.7% 72.1% $441

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Chang-hua

$358 41.4% 24.9% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Chang-hua

$67 7.8% 75.4% $207

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Chang-hua

$84 9.7% 54.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Chang-hua

$87 10% 21.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Chang-hua

$51 5.8% 37.4% $30

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Chang-hua

$47 5.5% 17.2% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $252 in Chang-hua. 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 82% 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 $33.00 in Chang-hua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $358 – making Chang-hua the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

09:32 9:32 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

226,564

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Chang-hua 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Chang-hua

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 Chang-hua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 108% more than Chang-hua, 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 $1,296 in Chang-hua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $864 in Chang-hua. That's a gap of about 108%.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Chang-hua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chang-hua, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Chang-hua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chang-hua – 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 Chang-hua. 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.