Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Guangzhou (Canton)

For one person, living is cheaper in Guangzhou (Canton): $924 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Guangzhou (Canton)
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Guangzhou (Canton) Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Guangzhou (Canton)

🇨🇳 China

$924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Guangzhou (Canton)

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 Guangzhou (Canton) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $924 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Guangzhou (Canton) $924

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,433 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Guangzhou (Canton) $1,433

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,942 in Guangzhou (Canton), rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Guangzhou (Canton) $1,942

Seoul costs about 94% more than Guangzhou (Canton), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Guangzhou (Canton) is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.01 ¥20.15

192.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$30.30 ¥203

125.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.08 ¥33.94

48.43%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.11 ¥20.77

36.01%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.53 ¥3.57

207.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.36 ¥2.41

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.38 ¥9.23

163.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.61 ¥17.46

135.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.80 ¥12.04

11.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.88 ¥12.60

66.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.15 ¥7.68

275.65%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.52 ¥10.15

137.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$16.43 ¥110

8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$5.20 ¥34.78

100.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$12.31 ¥82.3

109.59%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.22 ¥14.87

245.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.24 ¥8.27

172.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.44 ¥9.62

303.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.72 ¥11.48

272.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.99 ¥6.63

278.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.23 ¥8.21

106.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.79 ¥5.29

259.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.65 ¥4.34

70.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.71 ¥24.83

-9.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$10.53 ¥70.4

75.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.02 ¥6.84

135.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.91 ¥12.78

76.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.43 ¥2.86

165.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$22.03 ¥147

109.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.82 ¥12.20

91.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.41 ¥2.71

53.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$7.01 ¥46.90

26.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.38 ¥9.24

9.42%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.2K ¥128.4K

52.44%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$17.9K ¥119.4K

58.00%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$61.5 ¥411

253.75%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$16.36 ¥109

114.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$14.69 ¥98.2

44.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$70.1 ¥468

-17.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$12.38 ¥82.8

30.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$6.61 ¥44.22

71.10%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$1,506 ¥10.1K

29.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$24.1K ¥161.0K

-5.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$49.95 ¥334

14.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$41.83 ¥280

-20.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$83.3 ¥557

-14.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$71.3 ¥477

15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$539 ¥3,602

67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$278 ¥1,858

120.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,321 ¥8,832

91.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$466 ¥3,113

171.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$8,749 ¥58.5K

236.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$3,420 ¥22.9K

248.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,280 ¥8,558

185.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.38

20.71%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$278 30.1% 54.6% $334

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$239 25.9% 49.9% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$93 10% 66.2% $181

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$92 10% 49.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$111 12% 0.8% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$83 9% 3.2% $2.6

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Guangzhou (Canton)

$28 3% 51.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $539 in Guangzhou (Canton). 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 185% 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 $30.00 in Guangzhou (Canton). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $239 – making Guangzhou (Canton) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Guangzhou (Canton)

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

06:36 6:36 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

14,043,500

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Guangzhou (Canton) 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Guangzhou (Canton)

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 Guangzhou (Canton): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $924 in Guangzhou (Canton) – roughly 94% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,385 in Guangzhou (Canton). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $924 in Guangzhou (Canton). That's a gap of about 94%.

Public transport costs about 109% less in Guangzhou (Canton). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Guangzhou (Canton), where all-in costs run around $924, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Guangzhou (Canton) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guangzhou (Canton) – 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 Guangzhou (Canton). 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.