Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Guiyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Guiyang: $716 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Guiyang
Learn more

Guiyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Guiyang

🇨🇳 China

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Guiyang

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $716 in Guiyang, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Guiyang $716

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,134 in Guiyang, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Guiyang $1,134

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,553 in Guiyang, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Guiyang $1,553

Seoul costs about 151% more than Guiyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Guiyang is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.84 ¥18.97

209.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$21.82 ¥146

213.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.78 ¥31.98

57.74%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.95 ¥19.73

43.39%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.44 ¥2.92

270.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.29 ¥1.96

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.90 ¥6.01

304.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.07 ¥13.86

197.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.81 ¥12.10

11.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.56 ¥10.43

100.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.97 ¥6.48

345.36%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.59 ¥10.65

127.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$12.62 ¥84.4

41.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.28 ¥21.93

218.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$10.06 ¥67.3

156.46%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.82 ¥12.14

320.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.20 ¥8.00

181.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.49 ¥9.99

289.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.11 ¥7.39

477.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.69 ¥4.61

443.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.91 ¥6.06

179.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.56 ¥3.71

407.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.52 ¥3.48

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.16 ¥21.13

6.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$10.37 ¥69.3

78.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.81 ¥5.40

196.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.63 ¥10.90

106.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.29 ¥1.95

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$16.97 ¥113

171.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.35 ¥9.03

158.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.35 ¥2.36

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$6.60 ¥44.10

34.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.18 ¥7.90

27.97%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.2K ¥128.1K

52.78%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$17.1K ¥114.6K

64.59%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$45.97 ¥307

373.18%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.69 ¥64.8

262.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$11.79 ¥78.8

80.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$41.04 ¥274

41.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$13.92 ¥93.1

15.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$6.08 ¥40.65

86.02%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$331 ¥2,211

488.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$16.7K ¥111.6K

36.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$44.28 ¥296

28.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$30.65 ¥205

8.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$72.0 ¥481

-0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$70.7 ¥473

16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$278 ¥1,862

223.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$195 ¥1,307

213.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$581 ¥3,888

334.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$367 ¥2,451

245.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,040 ¥20.3K

867.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,022 ¥13.5K

488.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.89

4.88%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Guiyang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Guiyang

$195 27.3% 68.1% $416

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Guiyang

$197 27.5% 58.8% $280

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Guiyang

$67 9.4% 75.4% $207

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Guiyang

$84 11.7% 54.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Guiyang

$98 13.7% 11% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Guiyang

$53 7.4% 34.1% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Guiyang

$21 3% 62.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $278 in Guiyang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $22.00 in Guiyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $197 – making Guiyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Guiyang

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

16:32 4:32 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

4,324,561

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Guiyang 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Guiyang

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 Guiyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $716 in Guiyang – roughly 151% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,074 in Guiyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $331 in Guiyang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 143% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Guiyang, where all-in costs run around $716, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Guiyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guiyang – 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 Guiyang. 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.