Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Changshu

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $707 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
Learn more

Changshu Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Changshu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $707 in Changshu.

Seoul $1,822
Changshu $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $1,120 in Changshu.

Seoul $2,847
Changshu $1,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $1,532 in Changshu.

Seoul $3,872
Changshu $1,532

Living in Seoul is roughly 157% more expensive than in Changshu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Changshu is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$2.71 ¥18.12

235.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.4K

$21.35 ¥143

213.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,900

$4.98 ¥33.30

49.00%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,448

$3.09 ¥20.67

32.04%

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

$1.60 ₩2,132

$0.43 ¥2.88

272.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,074

$0.27 ¥1.80

196.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,867

$0.94 ¥6.27

288.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,924

$2.06 ¥13.78

188.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,731

$1.87 ¥12.49

9.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,113

$1.56 ¥10.44

97.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,623

$0.90 ¥6.03

367.78%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,765

$1.54 ¥10.31

131.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.0K

$12.88 ¥86.1

39.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.2K

$3.17 ¥21.16

235.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.3K

$10.11 ¥67.5

161.52%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,906

$1.82 ¥12.19

307.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,713

$1.25 ¥8.33

182.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,834

$1.54 ¥10.29

281.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,500

$1.14 ¥7.64

458.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,008

$0.69 ¥4.60

443.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,323

$0.89 ¥5.98

179.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,895

$0.56 ¥3.76

421.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$0.50 ¥3.37

130.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,390

$3.04 ¥20.35

8.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$10.65 ¥71.2

73.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,044

$0.74 ¥4.97

208.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,380

$1.63 ¥10.91

101.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,519

$0.27 ¥1.78

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.7K

$16.85 ¥113

169.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,644

$1.37 ¥9.16

154.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩800

$0.35 ¥2.35

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.6K

$6.82 ¥45.56

27.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩1,996

$1.14 ¥7.61

31.58%

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

$29.1K ₩38.9M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

50.43%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$16.9K ¥113.2K

66.49%

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

$209 ₩278.8K

$44.92 ¥300

364.98%

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

$35.13 ₩46.9K

$9.95 ¥66.5

253.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.3K

$11.63 ¥77.7

82.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.5K

$42.26 ¥282

35.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.2K

$13.67 ¥91.3

16.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.1K

$5.88 ¥39.29

92.69%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$340 ¥2,272

459.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.1M

$17.1K ¥114.4K

31.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.6K

$43.35 ¥290

35.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩42.9K

$30.09 ¥201

6.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.6K

$70.8 ¥473

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$73.3 ¥490

12.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$277 ¥1,853

219.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩832.2K

$192 ¥1,281

225.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$596 ¥3,986

318.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$355 ¥2,370

259.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩39.8M

$3,056 ¥20.4K

876.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.8M

$2,007 ¥13.4K

490.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.89

4.88%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Changshu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Changshu

$192 26.8% 69.3% $432

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Changshu

$198 27.7% 58.7% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Changshu

$67 9.3% 74.9% $199

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Changshu

$85 12% 53.5% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Changshu

$98 13.7% 10.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Changshu

$54 7.6% 32.5% $26

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Changshu

$21 3% 62.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $277 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $21.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $198 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Changshu

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

15:48 3:48 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,677,050

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 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 →

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Seoul Changshu 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,733 in Seoul and $1,061 in Changshu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $277 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $67.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,822 per month in Seoul versus $707 in Changshu – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $707 in Changshu versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu 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 Changshu 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 Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.