Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jinzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinzhou: $744 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Jinzhou
Learn more

Jinzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Jinzhou

🇨🇳 China

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jinzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $744 in Jinzhou.

Seoul $1,794
Jinzhou $744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,182 in Jinzhou.

Seoul $2,863
Jinzhou $1,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,620 in Jinzhou.

Seoul $3,931
Jinzhou $1,620

Living in Seoul is roughly 141% more expensive than in Jinzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Jinzhou is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.97 ¥19.85

196.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$22.15 ¥148

208.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$5.11 ¥34.15

47.55%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$2.81 ¥18.81

50.53%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.47 ¥3.16

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.31 ¥2.09

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$1.09 ¥7.32

233.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$2.06 ¥13.75

198.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.78 ¥11.88

12.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$1.60 ¥10.68

95.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$1.02 ¥6.80

323.53%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$1.67 ¥11.20

116.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$13.84 ¥92.6

28.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$3.75 ¥25.09

178.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$12.09 ¥80.9

113.40%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$1.83 ¥12.25

318.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$1.31 ¥8.78

158.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$1.67 ¥11.17

247.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$1.28 ¥8.58

400.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.71 ¥4.72

428.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$0.95 ¥6.33

167.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.60 ¥4.03

373.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.52 ¥3.47

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$3.35 ¥22.40

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$10.49 ¥70.2

76.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.81 ¥5.43

196.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.41 ¥9.44

139.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.29 ¥1.93

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$17.28 ¥116

166.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.47 ¥9.80

137.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.33 ¥2.18

90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$6.27 ¥41.94

41.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.26 ¥8.46

19.84%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$20.8K ¥139.2K

40.60%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$19.4K ¥129.9K

45.28%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$61.6 ¥412

253.17%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$9.25 ¥61.8

280.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$10.62 ¥71.0

100.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$37.37 ¥250

55.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$13.38 ¥89.5

20.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.58 ¥37.32

102.69%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$425 ¥2,843

358.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$15.7K ¥105.0K

45.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$42.31 ¥283

34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$30.77 ¥206

8.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$80.1 ¥535

-10.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$64.9 ¥434

27.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$266 ¥1,776

239.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$198 ¥1,321

209.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$642 ¥4,293

293.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$387 ¥2,585

227.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$3,375 ¥22.6K

771.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$2,212 ¥14.8K

438.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$448 ¥2,996

714.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.36

21.43%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jinzhou: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Jinzhou

$198 26.5% 67.7% $414

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Jinzhou

$212 28.4% 55.6% $265

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Jinzhou

$81 10.9% 70.3% $193

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Jinzhou

$86 11.5% 53.5% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Jinzhou

$98 13.2% 10.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Jinzhou

$49 6.5% 39.8% $32

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Jinzhou

$22 2.9% 62.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $266 in Jinzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 715% 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 Jinzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $212 per month, with Jinzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Jinzhou

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

16:09 4:09 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,703,853

💱 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 Jinzhou 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 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 Jinzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 715% 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 $266 in Jinzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jinzhou – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $744 in Jinzhou – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $744 in Jinzhou versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jinzhou but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.