Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jinhua

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinhua: $644 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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 Jinhua
Learn more

Jinhua Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Jinhua

🇨🇳 China

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jinhua

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $644 in Jinhua.

Seoul $1,794
Jinhua $644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,059 in Jinhua.

Seoul $2,863
Jinhua $1,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,474 in Jinhua.

Seoul $3,931
Jinhua $1,474

Living in Seoul is roughly 179% more expensive than in Jinhua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Jinhua is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.42 ¥29.54

99.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$22.23 ¥149

207.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.25 ¥35.10

43.62%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.46 ¥9.78

189.73%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.44 ¥2.92

270.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.29 ¥1.91

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.44 ¥2.94

727.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.46 ¥9.79

321.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.53 ¥10.23

31.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.46 ¥9.76

114.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.78 ¥5.18

453.85%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.29 ¥8.62

179.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$17.42 ¥117

2.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.21 ¥21.45

225.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$8.88 ¥59.4

190.54%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.82 ¥12.16

320.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.19 ¥7.94

184.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.17 ¥7.80

396.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.51 ¥10.10

324.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.78 ¥5.22

380.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.73 ¥4.85

247.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.14 ¥0.91

1928.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.31 ¥2.10

258.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.85 ¥25.72

-12.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$10.65 ¥71.2

73.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.47 ¥3.13

410.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.51 ¥10.11

123.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.31 ¥2.10

267.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$17.14 ¥115

169.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.53 ¥10.25

128.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.21 ¥1.40

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$8.79 ¥58.8

0.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.28 ¥8.59

17.97%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$12.1K ¥80.8K

142.18%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$14.9K ¥99.9K

88.81%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$22.46 ¥150

868.48%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$7.77 ¥52.0

352.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$10.45 ¥69.9

103.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$42.28 ¥283

37.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$15.17 ¥101

6.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.38 ¥29.31

158.22%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$411 ¥2,749

373.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$28.2K ¥188.5K

-18.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$22.55 ¥151

152.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$36.91 ¥247

-9.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$76.1 ¥509

-6.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$29.61 ¥198

178.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$258 ¥1,728

248.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$184 ¥1,232

231.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$479 ¥3,205

427.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$380 ¥2,543

232.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,485 ¥23.3K

744.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,933 ¥12.9K

515.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,500 ¥10.0K

143.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

36.00%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jinhua: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Jinhua

$184 28.6% 69.9% $428

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Jinhua

$196 30.5% 58.8% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Jinhua

$41 6.3% 85.2% $233

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Jinhua

$77 11.9% 58.3% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Jinhua

$74 11.5% 32.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Jinhua

$51 7.9% 36.7% $30

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Jinhua

$21 3.3% 63.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $258 in Jinhua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 143% 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 $22.00 in Jinhua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $196 per month, with Jinhua cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Jinhua

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

15:14 3:14 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

5,361,572

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Jinhua 1,160 km ≈ 2 h 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 Jinhua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinhua is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 179% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 143% 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 $258 in Jinhua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jinhua runs roughly 169% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $411 in Jinhua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $644 in Jinhua versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jinhua but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Jinhua 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 Jinhua 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 Jinhua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 179% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.