Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Nanning

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanning: $730 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Nanning
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Nanning Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Nanning

🇨🇳 China

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Nanning

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $730 in Nanning.

Seoul $1,794
Nanning $730

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

Seoul $2,863
Nanning $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,612 in Nanning.

Seoul $3,931
Nanning $1,612

Living in Seoul is roughly 146% more expensive than in Nanning, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Nanning is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.05 ¥20.41

188.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$20.18 ¥135

238.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.50 ¥36.78

37.09%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.37 ¥15.82

78.48%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.60 ¥4.00

171.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.29 ¥1.96

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.88 ¥5.86

313.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.18 ¥14.56

182.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.18 ¥14.55

-7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.30 ¥15.39

36.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.13 ¥7.53

282.30%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.00 ¥13.36

80.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$10.34 ¥69.1

72.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.97 ¥26.51

163.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$17.63 ¥118

46.34%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.79 ¥12.00

327.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.27 ¥8.51

166.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.50 ¥10.05

287.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.68 ¥11.21

281.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.98 ¥6.55

282.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.19 ¥7.94

113.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.57 ¥3.83

398.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.60 ¥4.02

85.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$4.09 ¥27.37

-18.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$14.76 ¥98.7

25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.91 ¥6.11

163.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.56 ¥10.43

116.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.54 ¥3.62

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$15.81 ¥106

191.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.32 ¥8.86

164.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.43 ¥2.90

46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$7.49 ¥50.1

18.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.32 ¥8.79

14.39%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$23.0K ¥153.6K

27.42%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$13.2K ¥88.4K

113.44%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$33.88 ¥227

542.03%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.13 ¥94.5

148.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$10.83 ¥72.4

96.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$73.8 ¥494

-21.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$7.66 ¥51.2

110.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$6.77 ¥45.24

67.06%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$303 ¥2,024

543.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$4,424 ¥29.6K

416.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$20.13 ¥135

183.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$30.01 ¥201

11.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$64.0 ¥428

11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$74.4 ¥498

10.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$251 ¥1,681

258.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$152 ¥1,016

302.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$385 ¥2,572

556.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$298 ¥1,993

324.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,545 ¥23.7K

729.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,534 ¥10.3K

675.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$682 ¥4,562

434.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.63

12.40%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nanning: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Nanning

$152 20.8% 75.2% $460

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Nanning

$244 33.4% 48.8% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Nanning

$59 8.1% 78.5% $215

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Nanning

$82 11.2% 55.6% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Nanning

$85 11.6% 22.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Nanning

$87 12% 8.3% $6.7

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Nanning

$21 2.9% 62.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $251 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 435% 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 $20.00 in Nanning for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $244 per month, with Nanning cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Nanning

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

13:02 1:02 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

8,741,584

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 →

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Seoul Nanning 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Nanning: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Nanning differ by about 146% in total monthly costs ($1,794 vs $730 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 435% 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 $251 in Nanning. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nanning runs roughly 192% 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 $303 in Nanning. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $730 in Nanning versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanning but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Nanning 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 Nanning 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 Nanning gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.