Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jinan

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinan: $637 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 Jinan
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Jinan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Jinan

🇨🇳 China

$637

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jinan

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $637 in Jinan, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Jinan $637

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,058 in Jinan, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Jinan $1,058

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,479 in Jinan, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Jinan $1,479

Seoul costs about 182% more than Jinan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.66 ¥17.81

230.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$24.21 ¥162

182.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.98 ¥33.32

51.41%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.45 ¥16.38

72.65%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.43 ¥2.86

279.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.23 ¥1.54

221.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.92 ¥6.16

295.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.01 ¥13.47

205.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.49 ¥9.99

34.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.48 ¥9.90

111.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.20 ¥8.01

260.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.11 ¥7.41

225.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$12.06 ¥80.6

47.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.36 ¥22.44

211.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$11.28 ¥75.4

128.72%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.45 ¥9.69

428.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.02 ¥6.80

231.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.41 ¥9.44

312.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.13 ¥7.59

467.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.63 ¥4.21

495.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.68 ¥4.55

273.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.53 ¥3.54

435.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.62 ¥4.16

79.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.79 ¥25.34

-11.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$9.86 ¥65.9

87.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.67 ¥4.45

258.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.35 ¥9.05

149.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.31 ¥2.08

267.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$9.02 ¥60.3

411.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.58 ¥10.59

120.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.27 ¥1.81

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$4.35 ¥29.06

103.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.31 ¥8.74

15.27%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.6K ¥131.1K

49.27%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$15.1K ¥100.9K

87.02%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$71.2 ¥476

205.72%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$6.64 ¥44.37

429.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$5.01 ¥33.47

324.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$24.20 ¥162

139.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$8.63 ¥57.7

86.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.34 ¥35.68

111.80%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$216 ¥1,442

802.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$19.7K ¥131.8K

15.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$33.35 ¥223

71.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$41.83 ¥280

-20.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$69.8 ¥467

2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$68.7 ¥459

20.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$249 ¥1,664

261.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$144 ¥964

324.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$604 ¥4,040

318.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$364 ¥2,433

247.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,519 ¥16.8K

1067.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,341 ¥8,965

787.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$981 ¥6,558

272.14%

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 Jinan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Jinan

$144 22.6% 76.4% $468

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Jinan

$189 29.7% 60.4% $288

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Jinan

$83 13% 69.8% $191

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Jinan

$77 12.1% 58.1% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Jinan

$96 15.1% 12.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Jinan

$35 5.5% 56.8% $46

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Jinan

$13 2.1% 77% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $249 in Jinan. 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 272% 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 $24.00 in Jinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $189 – making Jinan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Jinan

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

17:10 5:10 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

9,202,432

💱 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 →

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Seoul Jinan 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Jinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 182% more than Jinan, 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 $956 in Jinan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $24.00 in Jinan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $637 in Jinan. That's a gap of about 182%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jinan, where all-in costs run around $637, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Jinan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jinan – 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 Jinan. 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.