Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Fuzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuzhou: $762 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Fuzhou
Learn more

Fuzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Fuzhou

🇨🇳 China

$762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Fuzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $762 in Fuzhou.

Seoul $1,794
Fuzhou $762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,227 in Fuzhou.

Seoul $2,863
Fuzhou $1,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,692 in Fuzhou.

Seoul $3,931
Fuzhou $1,692

Living in Seoul is roughly 135% more expensive than in Fuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Fuzhou is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.06 ¥20.47

187.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$23.06 ¥154

196.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.08 ¥33.98

48.43%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.50 ¥16.74

69.20%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.47 ¥3.12

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.27 ¥1.78

174.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.86 ¥5.73

323.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.74 ¥11.66

253.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.06 ¥13.81

-2.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.41 ¥9.43

121.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.93 ¥6.23

364.52%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.55 ¥10.39

132.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$7.65 ¥51.1

133.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$2.18 ¥14.58

379.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$8.97 ¥60.0

187.63%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.80 ¥12.07

325.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.32 ¥8.81

156.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.68 ¥11.22

245.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.07 ¥7.14

499.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.84 ¥5.63

346.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.01 ¥6.75

151.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.44 ¥2.93

545.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.52 ¥3.49

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.01 ¥20.13

11.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$10.99 ¥73.5

68.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.72 ¥4.81

233.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.22 ¥8.13

176.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.29 ¥1.93

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$23.66 ¥158

94.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.52 ¥10.14

129.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.29 ¥1.91

117.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$7.28 ¥48.68

21.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.25 ¥8.37

20.80%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.4K ¥129.7K

50.92%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$15.6K ¥104.1K

81.22%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$43.17 ¥289

403.87%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$8.53 ¥57.1

312.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$8.94 ¥59.8

138.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$42.27 ¥283

37.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$14.76 ¥98.7

9.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$7.38 ¥49.31

53.25%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$209 ¥1,395

833.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$12.1K ¥81.0K

88.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$39.90 ¥267

42.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$29.42 ¥197

13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$90.5 ¥605

-21.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$86.9 ¥581

-5.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$458 ¥3,060

96.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$250 ¥1,672

144.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,038 ¥6,939

143.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$514 ¥3,438

146.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$4,514 ¥30.2K

551.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,346 ¥15.7K

407.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,006 ¥6,728

262.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.46

17.92%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fuzhou: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Fuzhou

$250 32.8% 59.1% $362

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Fuzhou

$175 23% 63.3% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Fuzhou

$61 8% 77.9% $213

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Fuzhou

$80 10.6% 56.2% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Fuzhou

$111 14.6% 0.9% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Fuzhou

$57 7.5% 29.3% $24

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Fuzhou

$28 3.6% 51.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $458 in Fuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 263% 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 $23.00 in Fuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $175 per month, with Fuzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Fuzhou

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

8,291,268

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Fuzhou 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Fuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 135% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fuzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 263% 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 $458 in Fuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Fuzhou – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $762 in Fuzhou – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $762 in Fuzhou versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fuzhou but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Fuzhou 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 Fuzhou 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 Fuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.