Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Chiayi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiayi: $1,067 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
Learn more

Chiayi Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Chiayi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $1,067 in Chiayi.

Seoul $1,794
Chiayi $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,503 in Chiayi.

Seoul $2,863
Chiayi $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,940 in Chiayi.

Seoul $3,931
Chiayi $1,940

Living in Seoul is roughly 68% more expensive than in Chiayi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Chiayi is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.83 NT$157

82.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$46.84 NT$1,519

45.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.70 NT$185

32.28%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.36 NT$109

25.89%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.88 NT$28.58

85.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.67 NT$21.68

10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$2.85 NT$92.4

27.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$3.80 NT$123

61.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$3.10 NT$101

-35.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.06 NT$66.8

51.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$3.04 NT$98.6

42.11%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.66 NT$86.3

35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$19.77 NT$641

-9.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$9.75 NT$316

7.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$20.98 NT$680

22.97%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$4.87 NT$158

57.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$3.22 NT$104

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.99 NT$97.0

94.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$4.55 NT$148

40.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.80 NT$90.9

33.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.35 NT$76.3

8.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.68 NT$54.3

69.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.14 NT$37.04

-2.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$4.01 NT$130

-16.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$4.66 NT$151

296.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.65 NT$53.7

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.18 NT$70.8

54.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.43 NT$403

270.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$2.64 NT$85.5

32.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.46 NT$14.94

36.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$9.66 NT$313

-8.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.06 NT$34.43

42.45%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$32.9K NT$1.1M

-10.90%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$24.5K NT$795.8K

14.95%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$66.7 NT$2,164

225.92%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$17.52 NT$568

100.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$26.93 NT$873

-20.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$31.82 NT$1,032

82.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$9.84 NT$319

14.94%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$660 NT$21.4K

195.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$16.8K NT$543.4K

36.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$62.3 NT$2,020

-8.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$39.44 NT$1,279

-15.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$85.2 NT$2,763

-16.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$104 NT$3,383

-20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$369 NT$12.0K

143.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$253 NT$8,194

142.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,179 NT$103.1K

825.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,910 NT$61.9K

523.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,110 NT$68.4K

73.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.4

70.00%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Chiayi

$253 23.7% 58.7% $359

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Chiayi

$379 35.5% 20.5% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Chiayi

$111 10.4% 59.4% $163

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Chiayi

$124 11.6% 32.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Chiayi

$131 12.3% 19.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Chiayi

$51 4.8% 36.2% $29

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6% 69.7% $40

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 $369 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 73% 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 $47.00 in Chiayi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $379 per month, with Chiayi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

14:24 2:24 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

269,874

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Seoul Chiayi 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Chiayi

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 Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% 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 $369 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $1,067 in Chiayi – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 271% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,067 in Chiayi versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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 Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.