Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Rizhao

For one person, living is cheaper in Rizhao: $667 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Rizhao
Learn more

Rizhao Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Rizhao

🇨🇳 China

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Rizhao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $667 in Rizhao.

Seoul $1,794
Rizhao $667

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,077 in Rizhao.

Seoul $2,863
Rizhao $1,077

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,487 in Rizhao.

Seoul $3,931
Rizhao $1,487

Living in Seoul is roughly 169% more expensive than in Rizhao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Rizhao is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.54 ¥16.95

246.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$19.14 ¥128

257.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.82 ¥32.21

56.43%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.95 ¥13.05

116.92%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.46 ¥3.10

254.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.23 ¥1.54

221.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.88 ¥5.87

313.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.98 ¥13.21

210.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.46 ¥9.78

37.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.48 ¥9.87

111.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.46 ¥3.08

839.13%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.07 ¥7.14

237.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$11.73 ¥78.4

52.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.34 ¥22.32

212.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$11.35 ¥75.9

127.31%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.46 ¥9.78

424.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.02 ¥6.81

231.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$0.77 ¥5.17

654.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.14 ¥7.65

462.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.58 ¥3.87

546.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.68 ¥4.57

273.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.58 ¥3.85

389.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.63 ¥4.19

76.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.66 ¥24.45

-8.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$9.99 ¥66.8

85.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.72 ¥4.81

233.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.36 ¥9.08

147.79%

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

$17.44 ¥117

164.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.23 ¥8.20

183.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.25 ¥1.67

152.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$4.52 ¥30.21

96.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.19 ¥7.92

26.89%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.1K ¥127.6K

53.35%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$14.8K ¥99.1K

90.33%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$73.5 ¥491

195.95%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$6.63 ¥44.30

430.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$5.18 ¥34.65

311.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$36.51 ¥244

59.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$13.25 ¥88.6

21.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.36 ¥35.87

111.01%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$218 ¥1,458

792.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$19.8K ¥132.4K

15.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$34.08 ¥228

67.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$43.15 ¥289

-22.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$71.2 ¥476

0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$69.4 ¥464

18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$299 ¥1,999

201.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$163 ¥1,090

275.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$623 ¥4,167

305.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$375 ¥2,505

237.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,578 ¥23.9K

722.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,144 ¥14.3K

455.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.13

30.35%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rizhao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Rizhao

$163 24.4% 73.4% $449

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Rizhao

$183 27.4% 61.6% $294

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Rizhao

$85 12.8% 68.9% $189

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Rizhao

$69 10.4% 62.3% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Rizhao

$98 14.7% 10.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Rizhao

$47 7.1% 41.5% $33

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Rizhao

$21 3.2% 63.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $299 in Rizhao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Seoul vs $19.00 in Rizhao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $183 per month, with Rizhao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Rizhao

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,143,000

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Seoul Rizhao 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Rizhao

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 Rizhao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Rizhao differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($1,794 vs $667 including rent). Rizhao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,692 in Seoul and $1,000 in Rizhao 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: $901 in Seoul versus $299 in Rizhao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rizhao – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $667 in Rizhao – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $667 in Rizhao versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rizhao but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Rizhao 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 Rizhao 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 Rizhao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.