Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Hua-lien

For one person, living is cheaper in Hua-lien: $1,076 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Hua-lien
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Hua-lien Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Hua-lien

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Hua-lien

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 Hua-lien actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $1,076 in Hua-lien.

Seoul $1,794
Hua-lien $1,076

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,820 in Hua-lien.

Seoul $2,863
Hua-lien $1,820

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $2,563 in Hua-lien.

Seoul $3,931
Hua-lien $2,563

Living in Seoul is roughly 67% more expensive than in Hua-lien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Hua-lien is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.99 NT$129

120.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$28.74 NT$932

137.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.28 NT$139

76.17%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.78 NT$90.3

52.16%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.93 NT$30.01

75.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.56 NT$18.18

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.33 NT$43.12

173.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.09 NT$67.6

194.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.93 NT$95.1

-31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.76 NT$56.9

77.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$4.50 NT$146

-4.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.98 NT$64.1

82.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$19.63 NT$636

-9.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$6.20 NT$201

68.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$25.54 NT$828

1.02%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.66 NT$86.3

187.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.50 NT$80.9

35.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.21 NT$104

81.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$3.18 NT$103

101.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.43 NT$78.7

54.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.30 NT$74.6

10.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.02 NT$65.5

40.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.98 NT$31.72

13.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.88 NT$126

-13.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$12.63 NT$410

46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.91 NT$62.1

25.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.35 NT$76.1

43.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.61 NT$19.64

86.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$36.66 NT$1,189

25.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.08 NT$99.8

13.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.31 NT$9.91

103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$10.36 NT$336

-14.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$0.89 NT$28.98

69.66%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$33.7K NT$1.1M

-13.23%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$26.6K NT$862.6K

6.05%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$103 NT$3,332

111.68%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$19.48 NT$632

80.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$12.54 NT$407

69.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$36.61 NT$1,187

58.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$10.12 NT$328

11.76%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$767 NT$24.9K

154.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$16.4K NT$533.1K

39.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$57.1 NT$1,850

-0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$36.07 NT$1,170

-7.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$79.5 NT$2,576

-10.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$107 NT$3,455

-22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$404 NT$13.1K

123.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$253 NT$8,204

141.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$985 NT$31.9K

156.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$740 NT$24.0K

71.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$7,755 NT$251.5K

279.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$4,989 NT$161.8K

138.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,940 NT$95.3K

24.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.13

91.55%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Hua-lien

$253 23.5% 58.6% $359

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Hua-lien

$368 34.2% 22.9% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Hua-lien

$135 12.5% 50.8% $139

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Hua-lien

$95 8.8% 48.3% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Hua-lien

$126 11.7% 14.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Hua-lien

$57 5.3% 29.5% $24

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Hua-lien

$44 4.1% 23.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $404 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 24% 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 $29.00 in Hua-lien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $368 per month, with Hua-lien cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇹🇼 Hua-lien

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

105,034

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Hua-lien 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Hua-lien

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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% 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 $404 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Hua-lien versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.