Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $714 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
Learn more

Chongqing Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Chongqing

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $714 in Chongqing, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Chongqing $714

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $1,168 in Chongqing, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Chongqing $1,168

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $1,622 in Chongqing, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Chongqing $1,622

Seoul costs about 155% more than Chongqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Chongqing is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$2.64 ¥17.67

244.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$22.05 ¥147

203.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$4.67 ¥31.20

58.89%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$2.06 ¥13.79

98.06%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.43 ¥2.90

272.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.31 ¥2.09

158.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$1.20 ¥8.02

204.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$1.75 ¥11.71

239.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.92 ¥12.85

6.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.58 ¥10.56

94.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$0.64 ¥4.25

557.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$2.16 ¥14.42

65.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$17.55 ¥117

2.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$3.37 ¥22.55

215.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$10.08 ¥67.4

162.30%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$1.56 ¥10.43

375.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$1.35 ¥9.01

161.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$1.25 ¥8.35

369.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$1.25 ¥8.32

409.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$0.61 ¥4.07

514.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$0.94 ¥6.31

164.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$0.87 ¥5.83

235.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.62 ¥4.13

85.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$3.07 ¥20.51

7.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$8.95 ¥59.8

106.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$0.76 ¥5.10

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$1.64 ¥10.93

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.39 ¥2.59

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$22.16 ¥148

105.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$1.53 ¥10.24

127.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.29 ¥1.91

106.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$2.96 ¥19.81

193.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.26 ¥8.44

19.05%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$19.5K ¥130.3K

49.34%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$16.8K ¥112.4K

67.61%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$44.19 ¥295

372.66%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$6.95 ¥46.43

405.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$7.17 ¥47.91

195.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$50.7 ¥339

13.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$10.64 ¥71.1

49.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$5.94 ¥39.71

90.74%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$290 ¥1,939

555.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$25.6K ¥171.0K

-11.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$39.88 ¥267

47.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$29.80 ¥199

7.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$64.8 ¥433

8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$62.7 ¥419

31.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$418 ¥2,790

111.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$200 ¥1,338

211.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$880 ¥5,879

183.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$414 ¥2,767

207.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$2,681 ¥17.9K

1013.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$1,705 ¥11.4K

594.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$1,111 ¥7,423

228.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.34

22.16%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Chongqing

$200 27.7% 67.9% $423

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Chongqing

$213 29.5% 55.6% $266

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Chongqing

$58 8.1% 78% $207

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Chongqing

$72 10% 60.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Chongqing

$89 12.3% 19% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Chongqing

$63 8.7% 21.8% $17

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Chongqing

$27 3.7% 52.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $418 in Chongqing. 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 229% 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $22.00 in Chongqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $213 – making Chongqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,564,449

💱 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 = 0.133 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Chongqing 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 155%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $1,071 in Chongqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $290 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 125% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chongqing – 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 Chongqing. 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.