Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Mianyang, Sichuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan: $646 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Mianyang, Sichuan
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Mianyang, Sichuan Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 China

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Mianyang, Sichuan

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Mianyang, Sichuan $646

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $998 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Mianyang, Sichuan $998

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,350 in Mianyang, Sichuan, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Mianyang, Sichuan $1,350

Seoul costs about 178% more than Mianyang, Sichuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Mianyang, Sichuan is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.92 ¥19.51

201.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$17.81 ¥119

283.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$4.89 ¥32.70

54.19%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,673

$2.97 ¥19.86

42.42%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$0.43 ¥2.89

279.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$0.28 ¥1.89

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$1.46 ¥9.74

149.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$2.26 ¥15.09

172.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.52 ¥10.13

32.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$1.55 ¥10.33

101.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$0.99 ¥6.63

336.36%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$1.62 ¥10.83

122.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$14.56 ¥97.3

22.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$3.66 ¥24.42

185.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$10.95 ¥73.2

135.62%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$1.79 ¥11.93

327.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$1.31 ¥8.77

158.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,790

$1.06 ¥7.07

448.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,593

$1.15 ¥7.66

457.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,026

$0.71 ¥4.73

428.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,405

$0.72 ¥4.83

252.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$0.58 ¥3.88

389.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$0.58 ¥3.88

91.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$3.71 ¥24.76

-9.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$4.56 ¥30.46

305.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$0.83 ¥5.57

189.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$1.30 ¥8.68

159.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$0.29 ¥1.91

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$1.07 ¥7.14

226.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$0.26 ¥1.74

142.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$4.58 ¥30.57

93.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.25 ¥8.38

20.80%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$19.6K ¥131.2K

49.09%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$17.4K ¥116.3K

62.07%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$47.71 ¥319

355.92%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$6.41 ¥42.80

448.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$12.51 ¥83.6

70.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$17.89 ¥120

224.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$5.82 ¥38.89

94.33%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$366 ¥2,446

431.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$14.8K ¥98.9K

54.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$24.80 ¥166

130.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$27.86 ¥186

19.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$58.0 ¥388

23.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$53.2 ¥356

55.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$226 ¥1,508

298.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.5K

$193 ¥1,291

216.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$411 ¥2,747

514.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$333 ¥2,226

279.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$2,710 ¥18.1K

985.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$1,816 ¥12.1K

555.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$732 ¥4,890

398.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.1

31.61%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mianyang, Sichuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$193 29.9% 68.4% $419

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6% 59.9% $285

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$67 10.3% 75.7% $207

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$88 13.7% 51.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$74 11.4% 33% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$30 4.6% 63.4% $51

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Mianyang, Sichuan

$3.5 * 0.5% 93.9% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $226 in Mianyang, Sichuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 399% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $18.00 in Mianyang, Sichuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $191 – making Mianyang, Sichuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Mianyang, Sichuan

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

20:21 8:21 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

4,868,243

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,504 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Mianyang, Sichuan 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Mianyang, Sichuan

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 Mianyang, Sichuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan – roughly 178% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $970 in Mianyang, Sichuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $646 in Mianyang, Sichuan. That's a gap of about 178%.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $366 in Mianyang, Sichuan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mianyang, Sichuan, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Mianyang, Sichuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mianyang, Sichuan – 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 Mianyang, Sichuan. 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.