Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Dongguan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dongguan: $813 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Dongguan
Learn more

Dongguan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Dongguan

🇨🇳 China

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Dongguan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $813 in Dongguan.

Seoul $1,794
Dongguan $813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,291 in Dongguan.

Seoul $2,863
Dongguan $1,291

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,768 in Dongguan.

Seoul $3,931
Dongguan $1,768

Living in Seoul is roughly 121% more expensive than in Dongguan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Dongguan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.57 ¥17.17

242.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.4K

$22.04 ¥147

210.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$5.26 ¥35.13

43.35%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,653

$2.56 ¥17.12

65.23%

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

$1.63 ₩2,178

$0.47 ¥3.15

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩990

$0.29 ¥1.93

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,868

$0.92 ¥6.18

295.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,216

$2.21 ¥14.78

178.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,692

$1.60 ¥10.68

25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,185

$1.56 ¥10.42

100.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,773

$1.03 ¥6.90

319.42%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,818

$1.66 ¥11.11

117.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$20.79 ¥139

-14.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$3.44 ¥22.97

203.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.5K

$14.23 ¥95.1

81.31%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.27 ¥15.16

237.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,521

$1.57 ¥10.50

115.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,762

$1.94 ¥12.94

199.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,562

$1.42 ¥9.46

351.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,008

$1.08 ¥7.19

247.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,392

$1.24 ¥8.32

104.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,802

$0.56 ¥3.72

407.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,479

$0.55 ¥3.67

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,477

$4.49 ¥30.01

-25.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$11.89 ¥79.4

55.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,201

$0.86 ¥5.75

179.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,502

$1.75 ¥11.67

92.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,528

$0.35 ¥2.35

225.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.6K

$22.79 ¥152

102.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,667

$1.18 ¥7.90

195.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩844

$0.39 ¥2.59

61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$4.36 ¥29.12

103.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,015

$1.28 ¥8.52

17.97%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$19.5K ¥130.6K

49.75%

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

$28.2K ₩37.7M

$18.6K ¥124.5K

51.45%

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

$218 ₩290.7K

$63.8 ¥426

241.15%

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

$35.15 ₩47.0K

$9.24 ¥61.8

280.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$13.08 ¥87.4

62.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.6K

$51.1 ¥341

13.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$16.01 ¥107

0.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$7.67 ¥51.3

47.46%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$533 ¥3,563

265.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$24.2K ¥161.5K

-5.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.2K

$46.76 ¥312

21.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.6K

$40.41 ¥270

-17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.5K

$73.3 ¥490

-2.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.3K

$39.10 ¥261

111.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$372 ¥2,488

141.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩817.6K

$218 ¥1,458

180.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$662 ¥4,423

281.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$431 ¥2,880

193.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$5,714 ¥38.2K

414.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$3,066 ¥20.5K

288.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$858 ¥5,731

325.61%

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 Dongguan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Dongguan

$218 26.8% 64.3% $394

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Dongguan

$246 30.3% 48.3% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Dongguan

$86 10.6% 68.6% $188

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Dongguan

$79 9.7% 56.9% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Dongguan

$90 11% 18.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Dongguan

$66 8.2% 17.7% $14

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Dongguan

$27 3.4% 52.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $372 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 326% 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 Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $246 per month, with Dongguan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Dongguan

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

13:47 1:47 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

8,254,100

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.48 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.68 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 = 1,336 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.68 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Dongguan 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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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 Dongguan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 326% 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 $372 in Dongguan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dongguan runs roughly 102% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $533 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $813 in Dongguan versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan 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 Dongguan 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 Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.