Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Nanchong

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchong: $682 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Nanchong
Learn more

Nanchong Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Nanchong

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Nanchong

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $682 in Nanchong, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Nanchong $682

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,112 in Nanchong, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Nanchong $1,112

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,543 in Nanchong, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Nanchong $1,543

Seoul costs about 163% more than Nanchong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Nanchong is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$1.75 ¥11.70

402.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$22.63 ¥151

202.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$3.02 ¥20.17

149.67%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.02 ¥13.49

109.41%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.43 ¥2.90

279.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.31 ¥2.09

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.22 ¥8.14

198.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.75 ¥11.72

251.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.93 ¥12.90

4.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.60 ¥10.68

95.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.63 ¥4.23

585.71%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.16 ¥14.41

67.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$18.25 ¥122

-2.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.43 ¥22.95

204.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$9.97 ¥66.7

158.78%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.53 ¥10.24

400.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.30 ¥8.67

160.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.25 ¥8.33

364.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.20 ¥8.04

434.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.67 ¥4.45

459.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.93 ¥6.23

173.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.84 ¥5.60

238.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.61 ¥4.09

81.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.96 ¥19.82

13.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.74 ¥58.4

111.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.81 ¥5.43

196.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.69 ¥11.33

99.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.34 ¥2.25

235.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$18.28 ¥122

152.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.52 ¥10.17

129.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.31 ¥2.10

103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$3.08 ¥20.58

187.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.31 ¥8.77

15.27%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.5K ¥130.2K

50.34%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$16.9K ¥112.7K

67.37%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$44.74 ¥299

386.19%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$7.19 ¥48.08

388.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$6.88 ¥46.01

209.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$41.93 ¥280

38.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$14.50 ¥97.0

11.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$6.16 ¥41.16

83.60%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$292 ¥1,955

565.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$25.5K ¥170.8K

-10.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$39.45 ¥264

44.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$30.06 ¥201

11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$64.4 ¥431

11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$63.9 ¥427

29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$298 ¥1,991

202.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$183 ¥1,222

234.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$624 ¥4,169

305.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$382 ¥2,557

231.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,201 ¥21.4K

819.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,973 ¥13.2K

503.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.34

22.16%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Nanchong

$183 26.8% 70.1% $429

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Nanchong

$214 31.4% 55.1% $263

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Nanchong

$59 8.6% 78.5% $215

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Nanchong

$60 8.8% 67.4% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Nanchong

$89 13.1% 19.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Nanchong

$54 8% 32.8% $26

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Nanchong

$23 3.3% 60.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $298 in Nanchong. 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $23.00 in Nanchong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $214 – making Nanchong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Nanchong

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

5,607,565

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Nanchong 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Nanchong

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 Nanchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $682 in Nanchong – roughly 163% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,022 in Nanchong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $292 in Nanchong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 123% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchong, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Nanchong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanchong – 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 Nanchong. 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.