Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Qiqihar

For one person, living is cheaper in Qiqihar: $720 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Qiqihar
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Qiqihar Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Qiqihar

🇨🇳 China

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Qiqihar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $720 in Qiqihar.

Seoul $1,822
Qiqihar $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $1,142 in Qiqihar.

Seoul $2,847
Qiqihar $1,142

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $1,564 in Qiqihar.

Seoul $3,872
Qiqihar $1,564

Living in Seoul is roughly 153% more expensive than in Qiqihar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Qiqihar is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$2.83 ¥18.92

221.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.4K

$21.69 ¥145

208.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,900

$4.98 ¥33.29

49.00%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,448

$2.97 ¥19.88

37.37%

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

$1.60 ₩2,132

$0.43 ¥2.88

272.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,074

$0.29 ¥1.94

175.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,867

$0.95 ¥6.36

284.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,924

$2.04 ¥13.65

191.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,731

$1.80 ¥12.01

13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,113

$1.56 ¥10.42

97.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,623

$0.95 ¥6.35

343.16%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,765

$1.52 ¥10.19

134.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.0K

$12.69 ¥84.8

41.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.2K

$3.27 ¥21.82

225.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.3K

$10.05 ¥67.2

163.08%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,906

$1.81 ¥12.08

309.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,713

$1.25 ¥8.37

182.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,834

$1.48 ¥9.92

296.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,500

$1.14 ¥7.63

458.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,008

$0.73 ¥4.91

413.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,323

$0.95 ¥6.35

162.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,895

$0.56 ¥3.74

421.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$0.54 ¥3.63

112.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,390

$3.22 ¥21.52

2.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$10.67 ¥71.3

73.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,044

$0.79 ¥5.27

188.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,380

$1.58 ¥10.57

107.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,519

$0.27 ¥1.79

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.7K

$16.42 ¥110

176.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,644

$1.36 ¥9.10

155.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩800

$0.36 ¥2.38

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.6K

$6.65 ¥44.42

30.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩1,996

$1.17 ¥7.85

28.21%

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

$29.1K ₩38.9M

$19.2K ¥128.0K

51.98%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$17.3K ¥115.8K

62.65%

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

$209 ₩278.8K

$44.64 ¥298

367.90%

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

$35.13 ₩46.9K

$9.87 ¥66.0

255.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.3K

$11.75 ¥78.6

80.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.5K

$41.93 ¥280

36.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.2K

$14.09 ¥94.2

12.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.1K

$5.84 ¥39.06

94.01%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$341 ¥2,276

458.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.1M

$16.7K ¥111.7K

34.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.6K

$43.36 ¥290

35.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩42.9K

$30.65 ¥205

4.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.6K

$73.2 ¥489

-4.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$71.0 ¥475

16.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$283 ¥1,891

212.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩832.2K

$194 ¥1,299

220.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$600 ¥4,009

315.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$355 ¥2,372

259.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩39.8M

$3,055 ¥20.4K

876.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.8M

$2,044 ¥13.7K

479.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.89

4.88%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Qiqihar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Qiqihar

$194 27.2% 68.8% $429

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Qiqihar

$198 27.6% 58.8% $282

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Qiqihar

$66 9.3% 75% $199

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Qiqihar

$85 11.9% 53.7% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Qiqihar

$98 13.7% 10.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Qiqihar

$54 7.5% 33% $26

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Qiqihar

$21 2.9% 63.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $283 in Qiqihar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $22.00 in Qiqihar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $198 per month, with Qiqihar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Qiqihar

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

13:24 1:24 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

5,367,003

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 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 Qiqihar 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Qiqihar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qiqihar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 153% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,733 in Seoul and $1,080 in Qiqihar to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $283 in Qiqihar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Qiqihar runs roughly 177% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,902 in Seoul versus $341 in Qiqihar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $720 in Qiqihar versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qiqihar but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Qiqihar 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 Qiqihar 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 Qiqihar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.