Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Changzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
Learn more

Changzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Changzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $741 in Changzhou.

Seoul $1,794
Changzhou $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,217 in Changzhou.

Seoul $2,863
Changzhou $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,694 in Changzhou.

Seoul $3,931
Changzhou $1,694

Living in Seoul is roughly 142% more expensive than in Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Changzhou is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.92 ¥19.51

201.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$28.54 ¥191

139.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$4.51 ¥30.16

67.18%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$2.22 ¥14.82

90.54%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.38 ¥2.55

328.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.23 ¥1.53

221.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$0.62 ¥4.15

487.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$1.45 ¥9.69

324.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.86 ¥12.47

8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$1.28 ¥8.59

144.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$1.00 ¥6.66

332.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$1.72 ¥11.54

109.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$7.41 ¥49.55

140.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$2.82 ¥18.86

270.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$12.35 ¥82.6

108.91%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$2.16 ¥14.44

254.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$1.73 ¥11.58

95.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$1.97 ¥13.14

194.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$1.04 ¥6.97

516.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.77 ¥5.13

387.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$0.99 ¥6.63

156.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.39 ¥2.60

628.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.62 ¥4.18

79.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$3.29 ¥22.03

1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$10.58 ¥70.8

74.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.82 ¥5.49

192.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.56 ¥10.45

116.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.33 ¥2.20

245.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$14.32 ¥95.8

222.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.51 ¥10.09

131.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.31 ¥2.08

103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$2.93 ¥19.57

202.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.31 ¥8.74

15.27%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$17.1K ¥114.1K

71.51%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$13.8K ¥92.3K

104.32%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$57.5 ¥385

278.23%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$8.13 ¥54.3

332.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$10.66 ¥71.3

99.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$40.60 ¥272

43.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$14.75 ¥98.7

9.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$4.57 ¥30.53

147.48%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$251 ¥1,681

674.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$15.1K ¥101.1K

51.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$55.3 ¥370

3.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$22.58 ¥151

47.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$76.0 ¥508

-5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$76.2 ¥510

8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$285 ¥1,908

215.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$229 ¥1,529

167.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$917 ¥6,133

175.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$495 ¥3,312

155.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$2,942 ¥19.7K

899.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,613 ¥10.8K

637.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,067 ¥7,132

242.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.35

21.79%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Changzhou

$229 30.9% 62.6% $383

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Changzhou

$192 25.9% 59.8% $285

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Changzhou

$76 10.3% 72.1% $198

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Changzhou

$72 9.7% 60.9% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Changzhou

$104 14% 5.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Changzhou

$50 6.7% 38.4% $31

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Changzhou

$19 2.5% 67.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 242% 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 $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $192 per month, with Changzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

5,278,121

💱 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 Changzhou 910 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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 242% 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 $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou 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 Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.