Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Shenyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenyang: $718 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Shenyang
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Shenyang Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Shenyang

🇨🇳 China

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Shenyang

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $718 in Shenyang, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Shenyang $718

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,071 in Shenyang, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Shenyang $1,071

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,424 in Shenyang, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Shenyang $1,424

Seoul costs about 150% more than Shenyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Shenyang is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.00 ¥20.07

193.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$22.24 ¥149

207.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.08 ¥33.98

48.43%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.46 ¥16.45

71.95%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.47 ¥3.17

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.38 ¥2.54

94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.87 ¥5.79

318.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.82 ¥12.16

237.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.89 ¥12.67

6.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.46 ¥16.46

27.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.08 ¥7.19

300.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.03 ¥6.88

250.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$11.99 ¥80.2

115.18%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.78 ¥11.91

330.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.19 ¥7.94

184.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.53 ¥10.23

318.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.61 ¥4.08

365.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.64 ¥4.27

73.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.77 ¥25.17

-11.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$16.53 ¥111

11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.66 ¥4.40

263.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.09 ¥7.27

209.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.38 ¥2.57

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.91 ¥86.3

257.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.35 ¥9.04

158.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.31 ¥2.10

103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.96 ¥19.78

199.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.29 ¥8.65

17.05%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.1K ¥127.7K

53.31%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$18.3K ¥122.5K

54.02%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$75.4 ¥504

188.56%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.87 ¥106

121.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$14.87 ¥99.4

43.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$22.27 ¥149

160.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$10.79 ¥72.1

49.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$6.09 ¥40.75

85.71%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$539 ¥3,606

261.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$21.3K ¥142.1K

7.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$42.49 ¥284

34.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$59.5 ¥398

20.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$69.5 ¥465

18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$277 ¥1,850

225.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$242 ¥1,619

152.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$558 ¥3,734

352.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$393 ¥2,625

222.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,272 ¥15.2K

1195.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,308 ¥8,745

810.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,115 ¥7,454

227.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.37

-6.64%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Shenyang

$242 33.7% 60.4% $370

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Shenyang

$160 * 22.3% 66.4% $317

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Shenyang

$106 14.8% 61.3% $168

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Shenyang

$80 11.2% 56.4% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Shenyang

$77 * 10.8% 29.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Shenyang

$34 4.8% 57.3% $46

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Shenyang

$17 2.4% 69.7% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $277 in Shenyang. 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 227% 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 $22.00 in Shenyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $160 – making Shenyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Shenyang

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

9,199,601

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Shenyang 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min 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 Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 150% more than Shenyang, 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 $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,076 in Shenyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 257% less in Shenyang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $539 in Shenyang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shenyang, where all-in costs run around $718, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Shenyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenyang – 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 Shenyang. 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.