Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jieyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Jieyang: $676 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Jieyang
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Jieyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Jieyang

🇨🇳 China

$676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jieyang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $676 in Jieyang.

Seoul $1,794
Jieyang $676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,075 in Jieyang.

Seoul $2,863
Jieyang $1,075

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,475 in Jieyang.

Seoul $3,931
Jieyang $1,475

Living in Seoul is roughly 166% more expensive than in Jieyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Jieyang is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.14 ¥14.34

311.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$12.92 ¥86.4

429.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$3.85 ¥25.75

95.84%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$2.43 ¥16.25

74.07%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.46 ¥3.10

254.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.35 ¥2.34

111.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$0.94 ¥6.31

287.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$1.81 ¥12.11

239.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.51 ¥10.12

33.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$2.38 ¥15.91

31.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$0.99 ¥6.62

336.36%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$0.88 ¥5.90

310.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$12.08 ¥80.8

47.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$2.45 ¥16.37

326.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$11.54 ¥77.2

123.57%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$2.03 ¥13.60

277.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$0.67 ¥4.49

404.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$0.96 ¥6.44

505.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$1.99 ¥13.32

222.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.99 ¥6.61

278.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$1.81 ¥12.11

40.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.43 ¥2.88

560.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.54 ¥3.61

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$2.95 ¥19.71

13.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$11.03 ¥73.8

67.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.80 ¥5.34

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.70 ¥11.35

98.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.29 ¥1.94

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$16.09 ¥108

186.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$0.87 ¥5.79

301.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.14 ¥0.96

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$6.97 ¥46.59

27.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$0.93 ¥6.24

62.37%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$12.7K ¥84.9K

130.62%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$11.3K ¥75.7K

149.30%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$43.06 ¥288

405.16%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$8.45 ¥56.5

315.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$11.23 ¥75.1

89.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$42.07 ¥281

38.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$14.26 ¥95.4

12.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$6.05 ¥40.48

86.94%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$501 ¥3,353

288.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$24.2K ¥161.8K

-5.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$21.08 ¥141

170.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$29.05 ¥194

14.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$60.0 ¥401

19.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$86.2 ¥576

-4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$300 ¥2,004

200.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$180 ¥1,205

239.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$619 ¥4,141

307.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$382 ¥2,557

231.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$3,517 ¥23.5K

736.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,943 ¥13.0K

512.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,095 ¥7,326

233.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.46

17.92%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jieyang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Jieyang

$180 26.7% 70.5% $432

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Jieyang

$202 29.9% 57.7% $275

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Jieyang

$63 9.3% 77.1% $211

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Jieyang

$69 10.3% 62.2% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Jieyang

$88 13.1% 19.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Jieyang

$54 8% 32.8% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Jieyang

$19 2.8% 67.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $300 in Jieyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 233% 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 $13.00 in Jieyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $202 per month, with Jieyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Jieyang

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

17:31 5:31 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

5,877,025

💱 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 = 1,500 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 Jieyang 1,860 km ≈ 2 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 Jieyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jieyang wins on cost – living expenses run 166% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jieyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 233% 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 $300 in Jieyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $676 in Jieyang – a 166% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jieyang runs roughly 187% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $676 in Jieyang versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jieyang but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Jieyang 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 Jieyang 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 Jieyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.