Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jeonju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeonju: $1,149 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Jeonju
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Jeonju Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Jeonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,149

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jeonju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Seoul versus $1,149 in Jeonju.

Seoul $1,848
Jeonju $1,149

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,986 in Seoul versus $1,796 in Jeonju.

Seoul $2,986
Jeonju $1,796

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,125 in Seoul versus $2,443 in Jeonju.

Seoul $4,125
Jeonju $2,443

Living in Seoul is roughly 61% more expensive than in Jeonju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Jeonju is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$7.48 ₩10.0K

20.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.8K

$22.90 ₩30.8K

198.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,868

$5.43 ₩7,287

35.36%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,530

$3.81 ₩5,112

8.14%

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

$1.64 ₩2,207

$1.12 ₩1,503

46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,083

$0.61 ₩824

32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,980

$2.85 ₩3,827

30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,236

$4.16 ₩5,591

47.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,742

$2.15 ₩2,885

-5.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,311

$2.30 ₩3,095

39.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,892

$3.12 ₩4,186

40.71%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,822

$2.30 ₩3,090

56.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.5K

$10.99 ₩14.8K

65.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$10.53 ₩14.1K

-0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.1K

$25.57 ₩34.3K

5.16%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$11.45 ₩15.4K

-31.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,739

$3.33 ₩4,472

6.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,660

$8.37 ₩11.2K

-31.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,296

$4.61 ₩6,197

34.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,053

$6.20 ₩8,319

-39.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,373

$2.29 ₩3,075

9.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,780

$2.91 ₩3,907

-3.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,490

$0.77 ₩1,031

44.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,432

$3.47 ₩4,662

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$18.83 ₩25.3K

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$1.49 ₩1,998

62.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,509

$3.51 ₩4,710

-4.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,600

$1.22 ₩1,634

-2.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,770

$3.32 ₩4,460

6.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩810

$0.76 ₩1,022

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$16.74 ₩22.5K

-45.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,931

$1.21 ₩1,631

19.01%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$39.1K ₩52.5M

-22.58%

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

$28.9K ₩38.8M

$34.6K ₩46.5M

-16.57%

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

$213 ₩285.4K

$72.0 ₩96.7K

195.18%

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

$35.83 ₩48.1K

$30.65 ₩41.2K

16.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$27.49 ₩36.9K

-22.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$11.98 ₩16.1K

-4.67%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$638 ₩856.7K

205.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.6M

$22.0K ₩29.5M

3.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.3K

$105 ₩140.4K

-42.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.9K

$64.9 ₩87.2K

-47.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.6K

$44.53 ₩59.8K

48.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩110.0K

$37.95 ₩51.0K

115.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$266 ₩356.5K

248.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩885.1K

$259 ₩348.4K

154.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$460 ₩617.1K

213.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$2,295 ₩3.1M

55.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.22

-3.32%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jeonju: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Jeonju

$259 22.6% 60.6% $400

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Jeonju

$458 39.9% 5.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Jeonju

$130 11.3% 51.7% $140

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Jeonju

$151 13.2% 17.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Jeonju

$113 9.9% 4.2% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Jeonju

$24 * 2.1% 71.6% $60

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Jeonju

$12 * 1% 79.1% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $924 in Seoul and $266 in Jeonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 56% 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 in Seoul vs $23 in Jeonju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $483 vs $458 per month, with Jeonju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Jeonju

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

653,387

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Jeonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeonju is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $924 in Seoul versus $266 in Jeonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $638 in Jeonju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jeonju – a meal for two runs $23 versus $68 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,149 in Jeonju versus $1,848 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeonju but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Jeonju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jeonju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Jeonju are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Jeonju wins on affordability, Seoul on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.