Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Shanghai

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $1,250 in Shanghai, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Shanghai $1,250

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $2,019 in Shanghai, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Shanghai $2,019

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $2,789 in Shanghai, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Shanghai $2,789

Seoul costs about 46% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Shanghai is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$4.55 ¥30.45

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$29.52 ¥198

127.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$5.10 ¥34.13

45.49%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$3.42 ¥22.92

19.30%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$0.61 ¥4.12

162.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$0.36 ¥2.41

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$1.21 ¥8.08

201.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$2.29 ¥15.33

159.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$1.86 ¥12.48

10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$2.01 ¥13.47

53.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$1.02 ¥6.84

312.75%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$1.72 ¥11.48

107.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$17.19 ¥115

4.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$3.35 ¥22.43

217.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$12.80 ¥85.7

106.56%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$2.17 ¥14.54

241.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$1.74 ¥11.67

102.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$1.94 ¥12.99

202.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$1.68 ¥11.25

279.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$0.77 ¥5.18

387.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$0.93 ¥6.22

167.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$0.62 ¥4.17

370.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$0.58 ¥3.88

98.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$3.83 ¥25.64

-14.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$10.94 ¥73.2

69.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

$0.84 ¥5.60

171.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

$1.60 ¥10.73

105.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$0.59 ¥3.92

93.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$30.27 ¥203

50.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$2.06 ¥13.79

68.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$0.47 ¥3.13

27.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$8.80 ¥58.9

-1.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.27 ¥8.53

18.11%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$19.6K ¥131.2K

48.58%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$18.6K ¥124.4K

51.75%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$57.2 ¥383

264.97%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$8.06 ¥53.9

335.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$10.52 ¥70.4

101.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$64.6 ¥433

-11.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$17.63 ¥118

-9.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$8.84 ¥59.1

28.17%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$1,437 ¥9,620

32.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$28.1K ¥187.9K

-19.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$54.7 ¥366

7.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$36.43 ¥244

-11.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$75.4 ¥504

-6.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$104 ¥696

-20.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,039 ¥6,956

-14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$589 ¥3,940

5.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,487 ¥16.6K

0.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,237 ¥8,282

3.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$13.6K ¥90.9K

119.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$6,191 ¥41.4K

91.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$1,715 ¥11.5K

112.75%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 5.6% $35

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Shanghai

$237 19% 50.6% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 71.4% $189

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 41.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 11% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 2.9% $2.3

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Shanghai

$37 3% 34.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $1,039 in Shanghai. 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 113% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $237 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

09:49 9:49 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

24,870,895

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1 CNY = 0.149 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Shanghai 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 46% more than Shanghai, 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 $2,733 per month in Seoul and $1,874 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 50% less in Shanghai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $1,437 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shanghai – 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 Shanghai. 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.