Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Changchun

For one person, living is cheaper in Changchun: $912 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
Learn more

Changchun Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Changchun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $912 in Changchun.

Seoul $1,794
Changchun $912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,335 in Changchun.

Seoul $2,863
Changchun $1,335

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,757 in Changchun.

Seoul $3,931
Changchun $1,757

Living in Seoul is roughly 97% more expensive than in Changchun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Changchun is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.95 ¥19.69

198.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$22.24 ¥149

207.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$5.19 ¥34.66

45.28%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,673

$2.49 ¥16.64

69.88%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$0.48 ¥3.20

239.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$0.29 ¥1.93

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$1.17 ¥7.81

211.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$1.82 ¥12.18

237.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.90 ¥12.69

5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$1.22 ¥8.15

156.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$1.45 ¥9.71

197.93%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$1.84 ¥12.31

96.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$34.91 ¥233

-48.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$5.88 ¥39.30

77.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$10.55 ¥70.5

144.55%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$1.71 ¥11.43

347.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$1.46 ¥9.78

131.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,790

$1.78 ¥11.87

226.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,593

$1.90 ¥12.67

237.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,026

$0.88 ¥5.86

326.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,405

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$0.61 ¥4.10

365.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$1.48 ¥9.88

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$3.65 ¥24.41

-8.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$20.59 ¥138

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$0.93 ¥6.20

158.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$1.14 ¥7.59

195.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$0.44 ¥2.91

159.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$1.23 ¥8.25

183.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$0.31 ¥2.10

103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$2.93 ¥19.55

202.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.24 ¥8.29

21.77%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$19.6K ¥130.8K

49.49%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$18.0K ¥120.0K

57.11%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$75.1 ¥502

189.56%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$4.52 ¥30.21

677.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$14.87 ¥99.4

43.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$38.44 ¥257

51.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$4.21 ¥28.15

282.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$6.86 ¥45.87

64.87%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$546 ¥3,646

256.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$21.4K ¥143.0K

6.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$74.2 ¥496

-23.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$45.27 ¥302

-26.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$60.9 ¥407

17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$71.0 ¥475

16.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$218 ¥1,458

312.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.5K

$251 ¥1,677

143.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$575 ¥3,844

339.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$310 ¥2,071

308.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$1,661 ¥11.1K

1670.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$1,015 ¥6,783

1072.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$965 ¥6,445

278.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.37

-6.64%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Changchun: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Changchun

$251 27.5% 59% $361

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Changchun

$315 * 34.6% 33.9% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Changchun

$95 10.4% 65.5% $179

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Changchun

$82 9% 55.6% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Changchun

$113 12.4% 2.8% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Changchun

$52 5.7% 35.3% $29

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Changchun

$4.6 * 0.5% 92.1% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $218 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 278% 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 $22.00 in Changchun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $315 per month, with Changchun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Changchun

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

9,066,906

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Changchun 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Changchun

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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changchun is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 278% 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 $218 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $546 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Changchun – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $912 in Changchun versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun 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 Changchun 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 Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.