Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Quzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quzhou: $679 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Quzhou
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Quzhou Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Quzhou

🇨🇳 China

$679

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Quzhou

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $679 in Quzhou, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Quzhou $679

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,133 in Quzhou, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Quzhou $1,133

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,586 in Quzhou, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Quzhou $1,586

Seoul costs about 164% more than Quzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.88 ¥19.27

205.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$30.36 ¥203

125.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$4.52 ¥30.22

66.81%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$3.48 ¥23.27

21.55%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.48 ¥3.21

239.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.31 ¥2.07

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$1.07 ¥7.17

240.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$3.29 ¥21.99

86.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.76 ¥11.79

14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$1.12 ¥7.46

179.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$0.68 ¥4.52

535.29%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$1.63 ¥10.88

121.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$15.17 ¥101

17.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$3.78 ¥25.26

176.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$8.84 ¥59.1

191.86%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$1.08 ¥7.22

609.26%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$1.56 ¥10.46

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$1.50 ¥10.02

287.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$1.23 ¥8.25

421.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.58 ¥3.90

546.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$0.71 ¥4.73

257.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.65 ¥4.34

336.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.55 ¥3.65

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$4.37 ¥29.22

-23.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$8.08 ¥54.1

128.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.75 ¥5.01

220.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.48 ¥9.88

127.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.29 ¥1.94

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

$16.07 ¥107

186.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.77 ¥11.81

97.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.37 ¥2.49

70.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$7.15 ¥47.80

23.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.27 ¥8.51

18.90%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$19.1K ¥127.4K

53.60%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$18.2K ¥121.9K

54.82%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$52.0 ¥347

318.71%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$6.82 ¥45.58

415.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$8.09 ¥54.1

163.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$37.80 ¥253

53.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$13.94 ¥93.2

15.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$7.74 ¥51.8

46.12%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$418 ¥2,798

365.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$15.6K ¥104.5K

46.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$62.2 ¥416

-8.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$27.26 ¥182

22.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$61.0 ¥408

17.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$51.5 ¥345

60.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$286 ¥1,915

214.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

$163 ¥1,087

276.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$716 ¥4,788

252.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$368 ¥2,458

244.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$3,840 ¥25.7K

666.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,738 ¥11.6K

584.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$690 ¥4,615

428.94%

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 Quzhou: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Quzhou

$163 23.9% 73.4% $449

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Quzhou

$191 28.1% 59.9% $286

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Quzhou

$67 9.9% 75.6% $207

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Quzhou

$93 13.8% 49.1% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Quzhou

$91 13.4% 17.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Quzhou

$53 7.9% 34% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Quzhou

$21 3.1% 63.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $286 in Quzhou. 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 429% 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 $30.00 in Quzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $191 – making Quzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Quzhou

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,122,661

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1,339 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 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 Quzhou 1,220 km ≈ 2 h 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 Quzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 164%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,018 in Quzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 187% less in Quzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $418 in Quzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quzhou, where all-in costs run around $679, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Quzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quzhou – 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 Quzhou. 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.