Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jiaxing

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiaxing: $632 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Jiaxing
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Jiaxing Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Jiaxing

🇨🇳 China

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jiaxing

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $632 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Jiaxing $632

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,070 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Jiaxing $1,070

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,507 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Jiaxing $1,507

Seoul costs about 184% more than Jiaxing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Jiaxing is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$3.05 ¥20.40

188.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$22.17 ¥148

208.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$4.41 ¥29.46

70.98%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$3.03 ¥20.28

39.60%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.48 ¥3.18

239.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.29 ¥1.93

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$0.78 ¥5.23

366.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$2.27 ¥15.17

170.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.90 ¥12.70

5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$1.95 ¥13.06

60.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$0.59 ¥3.93

632.20%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$1.92 ¥12.81

88.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$7.45 ¥49.79

139.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$3.31 ¥22.13

215.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$7.51 ¥50.2

243.54%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$1.60 ¥10.67

378.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$1.14 ¥7.65

196.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$0.93 ¥6.25

524.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$0.68 ¥4.57

842.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.59 ¥3.93

535.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$0.87 ¥5.79

191.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.50 ¥3.37

468.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.55 ¥3.65

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$5.13 ¥34.27

-34.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$11.85 ¥79.3

56.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.79 ¥5.27

203.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.31 ¥8.77

157.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.21 ¥1.40

442.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$16.27 ¥109

183.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.17 ¥7.80

198.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.42 ¥2.83

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$7.66 ¥51.2

15.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.26 ¥8.40

19.84%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$19.5K ¥130.7K

49.75%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$19.4K ¥130.0K

45.17%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$36.33 ¥243

498.73%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$11.38 ¥76.1

208.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$5.30 ¥35.47

301.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$37.96 ¥254

52.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$7.30 ¥48.80

120.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.15 ¥34.43

119.61%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$430 ¥2,877

352.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$12.6K ¥84.0K

82.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$35.13 ¥235

62.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$21.43 ¥143

55.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$63.5 ¥425

12.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$45.38 ¥303

81.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$282 ¥1,884

219.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$176 ¥1,179

247.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$743 ¥4,972

239.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$455 ¥3,040

178.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$3,818 ¥25.5K

670.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$2,051 ¥13.7K

480.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$737 ¥4,927

395.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.13

30.35%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jiaxing: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Jiaxing

$176 27.9% 71.2% $436

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Jiaxing

$174 27.6% 63.5% $303

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Jiaxing

$53 8.4% 80.6% $221

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Jiaxing

$86 13.5% 53.5% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Jiaxing

$74 11.8% 32.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Jiaxing

$48 7.6% 40.2% $32

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Jiaxing

$20 3.2% 64.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $282 in Jiaxing. 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 395% 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 $22.00 in Jiaxing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $174 – making Jiaxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Jiaxing

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

3,563,700

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1,339 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,499 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Jiaxing 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Jiaxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 184% more than Jiaxing, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $948 in Jiaxing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 183% less in Jiaxing. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $430 in Jiaxing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jiaxing, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Jiaxing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jiaxing – 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 Jiaxing. 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.