Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Lianyungang

For one person, living is cheaper in Lianyungang: $751 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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 Lianyungang
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Lianyungang Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Lianyungang

🇨🇳 China

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Lianyungang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $751 in Lianyungang.

Seoul $1,794
Lianyungang $751

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,171 in Lianyungang.

Seoul $2,863
Lianyungang $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,591 in Lianyungang.

Seoul $3,931
Lianyungang $1,591

Living in Seoul is roughly 139% more expensive than in Lianyungang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Lianyungang is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$3.07 ¥20.51

186.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$18.19 ¥122

275.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$4.40 ¥29.41

71.36%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$2.79 ¥18.68

51.61%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.53 ¥3.55

207.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.30 ¥2.00

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$1.06 ¥7.06

243.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$2.56 ¥17.14

140.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.98 ¥13.26

1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$1.36 ¥9.09

130.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$0.98 ¥6.58

340.82%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$1.33 ¥8.92

171.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$16.33 ¥109

9.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$4.21 ¥28.14

148.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$9.91 ¥66.3

160.34%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$1.17 ¥7.82

554.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$0.57 ¥3.82

492.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$0.93 ¥6.23

524.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$0.46 ¥3.10

1293.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.67 ¥4.47

459.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$0.46 ¥3.10

452.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.29 ¥1.94

879.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.44 ¥2.92

152.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$3.83 ¥25.60

-12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$14.87 ¥99.4

24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$1.06 ¥7.12

126.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.56 ¥10.44

116.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.31 ¥2.10

267.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$16.00 ¥107

188.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.53 ¥10.20

128.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.41 ¥2.76

53.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$9.18 ¥61.4

-3.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.31 ¥8.76

15.27%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$19.1K ¥127.6K

53.42%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$16.3K ¥109.2K

72.84%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$69.3 ¥464

213.75%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$6.81 ¥45.57

416.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$7.79 ¥52.1

173.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$46.04 ¥308

26.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$14.77 ¥98.8

9.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$6.26 ¥41.84

80.67%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$363 ¥2,427

436.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$17.7K ¥118.3K

29.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$37.72 ¥252

51.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$36.61 ¥245

-8.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$74.8 ¥500

-4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$88.6 ¥593

-6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$295 ¥1,971

205.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$191 ¥1,277

220.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$638 ¥4,268

295.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$367 ¥2,451

245.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$3,476 ¥23.2K

746.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,794 ¥12.0K

563.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$593 ¥3,964

515.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.37

21.07%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lianyungang: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Lianyungang

$191 25.4% 68.8% $421

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Lianyungang

$205 27.3% 56.9% $272

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Lianyungang

$84 11.2% 69.4% $190

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Lianyungang

$85 11.3% 53.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Lianyungang

$107 14.2% 2.7% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Lianyungang

$59 7.8% 27.4% $22

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Lianyungang

$21 2.8% 63.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $295 in Lianyungang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 516% 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 $18.00 in Lianyungang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $205 per month, with Lianyungang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Lianyungang

🕒 Local time

20:10 8:10 PM

19:10 7:10 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

4,393,914

💱 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 Lianyungang 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Lianyungang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lianyungang wins on cost – living expenses run 139% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lianyungang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 516% 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 $295 in Lianyungang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lianyungang runs roughly 188% 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 $363 in Lianyungang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $751 in Lianyungang versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lianyungang but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Lianyungang 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 Lianyungang 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 Lianyungang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.