Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Sanya

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanya: $776 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Sanya
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Sanya Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Sanya

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Sanya

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

A single person spends $1,804 per month in Seoul vs $776 in Sanya, rent included.

Seoul $1,804
Sanya $776

A couple spends around $2,877 per month in Seoul vs $1,250 in Sanya, rent included.

Seoul $2,877
Sanya $1,250

A family of three spends $3,950 per month in Seoul vs $1,723 in Sanya, rent included.

Seoul $3,950
Sanya $1,723

Seoul costs about 133% more than Sanya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Sanya is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$3.33 ¥22.29

173.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$22.31 ¥149

198.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$6.19 ¥41.37

21.00%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$2.15 ¥14.37

94.88%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$0.53 ¥3.56

192.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$0.43 ¥2.87

83.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$1.31 ¥8.75

177.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$1.74 ¥11.61

252.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$2.14 ¥14.33

-1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$1.36 ¥9.12

124.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$1.53 ¥10.22

175.16%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$1.68 ¥11.21

110.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$23.02 ¥154

-21.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$4.57 ¥30.59

126.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$11.46 ¥76.6

130.98%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$2.27 ¥15.17

248.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$1.53 ¥10.24

124.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$2.46 ¥16.44

129.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$1.99 ¥13.31

222.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$0.91 ¥6.11

307.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$0.73 ¥4.87

245.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$0.55 ¥3.65

421.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$0.59 ¥3.92

96.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.65 ¥24.42

-7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$7.67 ¥51.3

144.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$0.87 ¥5.83

162.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$1.60 ¥10.69

106.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

$0.31 ¥2.05

264.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

$18.12 ¥121

157.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$1.46 ¥9.76

141.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$0.35 ¥2.32

82.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$7.51 ¥50.2

16.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$1.25 ¥8.34

16.00%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$22.0K ¥147.2K

34.71%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$17.2K ¥114.9K

64.02%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$56.0 ¥374

276.54%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$6.60 ¥44.16

435.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$4.41 ¥29.52

366.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$40.87 ¥273

41.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$14.90 ¥99.6

8.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$6.25 ¥41.80

81.92%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$403 ¥2,695

388.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$17.0K ¥113.9K

33.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$43.83 ¥293

31.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$33.64 ¥225

-1.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$73.6 ¥492

-4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$85.9 ¥574

-1.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$298 ¥1,994

194.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$191 ¥1,276

227.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$624 ¥4,173

302.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$381 ¥2,547

237.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$3,393 ¥22.7K

795.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,946 ¥13.0K

510.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$903 ¥6,038

298.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.36

21.43%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sanya: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Sanya

$191 24.6% 69.4% $433

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Sanya

$251 32.3% 47.7% $229

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Sanya

$67 8.6% 74.9% $200

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Sanya

$85 10.9% 54.2% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Sanya

$107 13.7% 3.3% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Sanya

$53 6.9% 33.7% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Sanya

$23 2.9% 61.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Seoul versus $298 in Sanya. 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 298% 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $22.00 in Sanya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $251 – making Sanya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Sanya

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

21:18 9:18 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,031,396

💱 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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Seoul Sanya 2,740 km ≈ 4 h 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 Sanya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 133% more than Sanya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,707 per month in Seoul and $1,164 in Sanya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,804 in Seoul and $776 in Sanya. That's a gap of about 133%.

Public transport costs about 158% less in Sanya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sanya, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Seoul at $1,804. In Sanya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sanya – 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 Sanya. 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.