Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jiujiang

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiujiang: $793 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Jiujiang
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Jiujiang Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Jiujiang

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jiujiang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $793 in Jiujiang.

Seoul $1,794
Jiujiang $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,237 in Jiujiang.

Seoul $2,863
Jiujiang $1,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,681 in Jiujiang.

Seoul $3,931
Jiujiang $1,681

Living in Seoul is roughly 126% more expensive than in Jiujiang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Jiujiang is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.61 ¥17.48

237.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$22.60 ¥151

202.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$4.53 ¥30.27

66.45%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$2.75 ¥18.39

53.82%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.50 ¥3.32

226.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.27 ¥1.78

174.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$1.03 ¥6.88

253.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$2.05 ¥13.73

200.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.61 ¥10.77

24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$2.05 ¥13.73

52.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$0.80 ¥5.36

440.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$1.84 ¥12.29

96.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$13.68 ¥91.5

30.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$4.81 ¥32.16

117.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$11.70 ¥78.2

120.51%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$2.33 ¥15.58

228.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$1.74 ¥11.62

94.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$1.73 ¥11.54

235.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$1.54 ¥10.31

316.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.80 ¥5.37

368.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$1.01 ¥6.74

151.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.86 ¥5.72

230.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.71 ¥4.76

56.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$2.97 ¥19.86

12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$12.07 ¥80.7

53.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.86 ¥5.76

179.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.89 ¥12.61

78.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.30 ¥2.01

280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$18.59 ¥124

148.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.19 ¥7.94

193.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.35 ¥2.34

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$3.57 ¥23.88

148.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.27 ¥8.50

18.90%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$19.7K ¥131.8K

48.53%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$16.4K ¥110.0K

71.49%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$49.03 ¥328

343.65%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$9.24 ¥61.8

280.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$12.08 ¥80.8

76.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$42.46 ¥284

36.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$17.05 ¥114

-5.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$6.23 ¥41.64

81.54%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$240 ¥1,607

710.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$8,703 ¥58.2K

162.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$88.4 ¥591

-35.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$33.31 ¥223

0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$64.3 ¥430

11.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$97.6 ¥653

-15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$291 ¥1,943

210.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$205 ¥1,368

199.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$552 ¥3,694

357.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$338 ¥2,260

274.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$3,711 ¥24.8K

692.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$2,067 ¥13.8K

475.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$594 ¥3,970

514.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.15

29.52%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jiujiang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Jiujiang

$205 25.8% 66.6% $407

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Jiujiang

$233 29.4% 51.2% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Jiujiang

$70 8.9% 74.3% $204

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Jiujiang

$80 10.1% 56.6% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Jiujiang

$128 16.1% 16% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Jiujiang

$55 6.9% 31.9% $26

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Jiujiang

$23 2.9% 60.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $291 in Jiujiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 515% 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 $23.00 in Jiujiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $233 per month, with Jiujiang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Jiujiang

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

4,728,778

💱 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 Jiujiang 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 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 Jiujiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiujiang wins on cost – living expenses run 126% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jiujiang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 515% 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 $291 in Jiujiang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jiujiang – a meal for two runs $23.00 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 $793 in Jiujiang – a 126% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $793 in Jiujiang versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jiujiang but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Jiujiang 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 Jiujiang 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 Jiujiang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.