Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Ningbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ningbo: $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 Ningbo
Learn more

Ningbo Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Ningbo

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Ningbo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $682 in Ningbo.

Seoul $1,794
Ningbo $682

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,177 in Ningbo.

Seoul $2,863
Ningbo $1,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,672 in Ningbo.

Seoul $3,931
Ningbo $1,672

Living in Seoul is roughly 163% more expensive than in Ningbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Ningbo is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.91 ¥19.46

202.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$29.60 ¥198

130.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.58 ¥30.62

64.63%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.43 ¥22.93

23.32%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.47 ¥3.16

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.29 ¥1.92

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.04 ¥6.93

250.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$3.45 ¥23.04

78.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.78 ¥11.88

12.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.16 ¥7.78

169.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.73 ¥4.86

491.78%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.62 ¥10.86

122.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$14.79 ¥98.9

20.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.81 ¥25.45

174.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$8.83 ¥59.1

192.19%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.07 ¥7.18

615.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.52 ¥10.16

122.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.50 ¥10.06

287.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.18 ¥7.88

443.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.63 ¥4.21

495.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.75 ¥4.99

238.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.64 ¥4.27

343.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.54 ¥3.59

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$4.39 ¥29.33

-23.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.00 ¥53.5

131.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.75 ¥5.04

220.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.42 ¥9.51

137.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.29 ¥1.93

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$16.16 ¥108

185.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.76 ¥11.78

98.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.37 ¥2.49

70.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$7.37 ¥49.29

20.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.28 ¥8.54

17.97%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.6K ¥131.4K

48.98%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$17.7K ¥118.0K

59.79%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$51.9 ¥347

319.03%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$6.85 ¥45.78

413.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$7.93 ¥53.0

168.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$25.07 ¥168

131.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$14.69 ¥98.2

9.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$7.71 ¥51.6

46.69%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$929 ¥6,209

109.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$15.8K ¥105.8K

44.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$62.5 ¥418

-8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$27.09 ¥181

23.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$62.0 ¥414

15.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$52.4 ¥350

57.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$358 ¥2,392

151.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$179 ¥1,198

241.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$772 ¥5,162

227.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$482 ¥3,223

162.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,861 ¥25.8K

661.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,097 ¥14.0K

467.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,180 ¥7,892

209.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.18

28.30%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Ningbo

$179 26.3% 70.7% $433

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Ningbo

$190 27.9% 60.1% $287

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Ningbo

$67 9.8% 75.7% $207

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Ningbo

$93 13.7% 49.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Ningbo

$92 13.5% 16.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Ningbo

$41 5.9% 49.8% $40

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Ningbo

$21 3.1% 63.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $358 in Ningbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 209% 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 $30.00 in Ningbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $190 per month, with Ningbo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Ningbo

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

20:26 8:26 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

7,605,689

💱 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 Ningbo 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Ningbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ningbo wins on cost – living expenses run 163% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ningbo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 209% 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 $358 in Ningbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $929 in Ningbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 151% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Ningbo versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ningbo but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Ningbo 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 Ningbo 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 Ningbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.