Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kinmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kinmen: $1,103 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kinmen
Learn more

Kinmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Kinmen

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,103

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Kinmen

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $1,103 in Kinmen, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Kinmen $1,103

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $1,846 in Kinmen, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Kinmen $1,846

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $2,588 in Kinmen, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Kinmen $2,588

Seoul costs about 65% more than Kinmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Kinmen is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$4.63 NT$148

96.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$30.89 NT$986

116.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$4.62 NT$147

60.61%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$2.93 NT$93.4

39.25%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.91 NT$29.15

75.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.64 NT$20.42

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$1.55 NT$49.41

135.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$2.54 NT$81.0

133.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$3.03 NT$96.5

-32.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.90 NT$60.8

62.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$3.28 NT$105

28.35%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$2.66 NT$84.9

34.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$17.16 NT$548

4.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$7.93 NT$253

34.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$22.08 NT$705

19.75%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$4.20 NT$134

76.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.13 NT$68.0

65.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$3.02 NT$96.4

94.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$3.39 NT$108

87.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$2.82 NT$90.1

32.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.20 NT$70.2

13.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$2.09 NT$66.6

39.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.04 NT$33.16

10.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$3.38 NT$108

-2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$12.50 NT$399

47.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$1.63 NT$52.2

39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$2.30 NT$73.4

42.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.71 NT$22.54

60.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$32.25 NT$1,029

40.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$2.61 NT$83.3

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.90 NT$28.74

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$9.69 NT$309

-10.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.07 NT$34.15

40.19%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$36.4K NT$1.2M

-20.06%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$25.8K NT$823.9K

9.20%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$87.2 NT$2,783

139.45%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$16.22 NT$518

116.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$22.12 NT$706

-4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$40.94 NT$1,306

40.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$8.63 NT$275

31.29%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$585 NT$18.7K

225.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$16.0K NT$510.0K

40.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$72.2 NT$2,305

-18.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$27.56 NT$880

16.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$91.1 NT$2,908

-23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$89.4 NT$2,852

-7.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$409 NT$13.1K

116.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$254 NT$8,118

145.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$986 NT$31.5K

152.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$743 NT$23.7K

71.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$7,945 NT$253.5K

275.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$4,645 NT$148.2K

155.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.38

71.43%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Kinmen

$254 23.6% 59.2% $369

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Kinmen

$365 33.9% 23.9% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Kinmen

$126 11.7% 52.6% $140

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Kinmen

$105 9.8% 42.8% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Kinmen

$126 11.7% 15% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Kinmen

$58 5.4% 27.2% $22

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Kinmen

$42 3.9% 25.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $409 in Kinmen. 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $31.00 in Kinmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $365 – making Kinmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇹🇼 Kinmen

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

15:03 3:03 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

12,568

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Kinmen 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Kinmen

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 Kinmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $1,654 in Kinmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $585 in Kinmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kinmen, where all-in costs run around $1,103, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Kinmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kinmen – 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 Kinmen. 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.