Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jinju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinju: $1,454 a month against $1,829 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Jinju
Learn more

Jinju Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,829

/mo nomad

Jinju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jinju

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

A single person spends $1,829 per month in Seoul vs $1,454 in Jinju, rent included.

Seoul $1,829
Jinju $1,454

A couple spends around $2,973 per month in Seoul vs $2,506 in Jinju, rent included.

Seoul $2,973
Jinju $2,506

A family of three spends $4,116 per month in Seoul vs $3,557 in Jinju, rent included.

Seoul $4,116
Jinju $3,557

Seoul costs about 26% more than Jinju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seoul and Jinju sit above the global median – Seoul by 35%, Jinju by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$9.03 ₩12.1K

-1.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 ₩93.3K

$69.3 ₩93.1K

0.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ₩10.1K

$7.54 ₩10.1K

-0.53%

Cappuccino

$4.04 ₩5,431

$4.03 ₩5,412

0.25%

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

$1.56 ₩2,092

$1.63 ₩2,186

-4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₩985

$0.73 ₩987

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ₩4,911

$3.62 ₩4,864

1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 ₩7,898

$5.84 ₩7,847

0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₩2,797

$2.11 ₩2,830

-1.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 ₩4,043

$3.00 ₩4,029

0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 ₩5,621

$4.26 ₩5,720

-1.88%

Eggs

$3.63 ₩4,882

$3.54 ₩4,762

2.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.87 ₩24.0K

$18.09 ₩24.3K

-1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₩13.9K

$10.47 ₩14.1K

-1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩35.2K

$26.27 ₩35.3K

-0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,966

$7.68 ₩10.3K

-3.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,638

$3.43 ₩4,608

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 ₩7,520

$5.78 ₩7,770

-3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 ₩8,449

$6.20 ₩8,327

1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,840

$3.54 ₩4,756

1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,368

$2.59 ₩3,484

-3.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,726

$2.81 ₩3,779

-1.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,533

$1.10 ₩1,476

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,599

$3.41 ₩4,576

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ₩25.0K

$18.47 ₩24.8K

0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₩3,097

$2.38 ₩3,204

-3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ₩4,491

$3.29 ₩4,419

1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,505

$1.13 ₩1,514

-0.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 ₩62.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,836

$3.50 ₩4,706

2.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩808

$0.57 ₩768

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$8.89 ₩11.9K

-0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₩2,003

$1.50 ₩2,016

-0.67%

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

$29.7K ₩39.9M

$29.6K ₩39.7M

0.41%

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

$28.0K ₩37.6M

$27.7K ₩37.3M

0.84%

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

$216 ₩290.0K

$211 ₩282.9K

2.51%

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

$34.52 ₩46.4K

$34.77 ₩46.7K

-0.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.34 ₩27.3K

$21.12 ₩28.4K

-3.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 ₩79.6K

$55.4 ₩74.4K

6.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 ₩21.4K

$15.76 ₩21.2K

1.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 ₩14.8K

$11.17 ₩15.0K

-1.43%

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

$1,962 ₩2.6M

$451 ₩606.6K

334.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.3K ₩35.3M

$26.1K ₩35.0M

0.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ₩83.7K

$61.8 ₩83.1K

0.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.82 ₩45.4K

$33.27 ₩44.7K

1.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 ₩91.2K

$69.5 ₩93.4K

-2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 ₩111.4K

$80.1 ₩107.6K

3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 ₩1.2M

$536 ₩720.5K

71.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₩878.3K

$330 ₩443.4K

98.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 ₩4.2M

$1,226 ₩1.6M

152.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 ₩2.0M

$996 ₩1.3M

46.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.4K ₩38.2M

$6,214 ₩8.3M

356.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.4K ₩15.3M

$4,832 ₩6.5M

135.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,496 ₩4.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Seoul: November 1, 2026

Last update for Jinju: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$654 35.7%

Jinju

$330 22.7% 49.5% $324

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$474 25.9%

Jinju

$476 32.8% 0.6% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$271 14.8%

Jinju

$266 18.3% 1.6% $4.3

Eating Out

Seoul

$181 9.9%

Jinju

$182 12.6% 0.7% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$111 6.1%

Jinju

$110 7.6% 0.9% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.4%

Jinju

$78 5.4% 4.3% $3.5

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Jinju

$11 * 0.8% 81.2% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Seoul versus $536 in Jinju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Seoul versus $69 in Jinju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $474 vs $476 – making Seoul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Jinju

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

340,548

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

Seoul
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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 Jinju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,744 per month in Seoul and $2,181 in Jinju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jinju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $536 there versus $918 in Seoul.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,829 in Seoul and $1,454 in Jinju. That makes Jinju about 21% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,962 per month in Seoul and $451 in Jinju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Jinju – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.