Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Douliu

For one person, living is cheaper in Douliu: $1,138 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Douliu
Learn more

Douliu Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Douliu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Douliu

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $1,138 in Douliu, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Douliu $1,138

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,894 in Douliu, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Douliu $1,894

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $2,650 in Douliu, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Douliu $2,650

Seoul costs about 58% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Douliu is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.85 NT$125

128.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$22.40 NT$726

205.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.81 NT$189

29.78%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.40 NT$110

24.41%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.94 NT$30.58

73.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.67 NT$21.86

10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$2.79 NT$90.4

30.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$3.73 NT$121

64.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$3.09 NT$100

-34.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.01 NT$65.1

55.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$3.17 NT$103

36.28%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.76 NT$89.4

30.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$19.44 NT$631

-8.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$9.97 NT$323

4.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$21.44 NT$695

20.34%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$4.79 NT$155

59.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$3.29 NT$107

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.08 NT$99.9

88.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$4.34 NT$141

47.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.82 NT$91.3

32.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.34 NT$75.9

8.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.71 NT$55.6

66.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.10 NT$35.65

0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.85 NT$125

-12.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$14.46 NT$469

27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.63 NT$52.9

47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.31 NT$75.0

45.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.61 NT$19.89

86.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$35.53 NT$1,152

29.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$2.66 NT$86.3

31.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.77 NT$24.82

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$9.46 NT$307

-6.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.03 NT$33.56

46.60%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-13.89%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$24.0K NT$777.6K

17.64%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$86.6 NT$2,807

151.32%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$17.15 NT$556

104.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$27.79 NT$901

-23.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$36.37 NT$1,179

59.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$9.54 NT$309

18.55%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$663 NT$21.5K

193.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$17.0K NT$550.7K

34.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$64.5 NT$2,091

-11.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$40.75 NT$1,321

-18.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$85.0 NT$2,756

-15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$105 NT$3,408

-21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$404 NT$13.1K

122.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$257 NT$8,334

138.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$982 NT$31.8K

157.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$730 NT$23.7K

73.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$7,836 NT$254.1K

275.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$4,924 NT$159.7K

141.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,544 NT$82.5K

43.48%

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 Douliu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Douliu

$257 22.6% 58% $355

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Douliu

$400 35.1% 16.2% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Douliu

$132 11.6% 52% $142

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Douliu

$117 10.3% 36.4% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Douliu

$133 11.7% 20.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Douliu

$55 4.9% 31.3% $25

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Douliu

$44 3.9% 22.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $404 in Douliu. 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 43% 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $22.00 in Douliu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $400 – making Douliu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇹🇼 Douliu

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

10:06 10:06 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

108,401

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Douliu 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min 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 Douliu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 58% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,707 in Douliu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $22.00 in Douliu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $1,138 in Douliu. That's a gap of about 58%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Douliu – 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 Douliu. 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.