Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Suzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Suzhou: $876 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Suzhou
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Suzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Suzhou

🇨🇳 China

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Suzhou

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $876 in Suzhou, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Suzhou $876

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $1,504 in Suzhou, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Suzhou $1,504

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $2,132 in Suzhou, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Suzhou $2,132

Seoul costs about 108% more than Suzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Suzhou is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$4.26 ¥28.48

113.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$29.42 ¥197

127.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$5.29 ¥35.36

40.26%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$3.38 ¥22.58

20.71%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.73 ¥4.86

119.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.39 ¥2.59

105.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$2.25 ¥15.05

62.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$4.60 ¥30.71

29.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.89 ¥12.61

8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$2.04 ¥13.63

50.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.29 ¥8.63

226.36%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$1.82 ¥12.19

96.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$17.80 ¥119

0.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$3.50 ¥23.36

204.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$8.57 ¥57.3

208.52%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$2.03 ¥13.58

265.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$1.28 ¥8.54

175.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$1.39 ¥9.27

322.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$1.50 ¥10.03

324.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$0.63 ¥4.21

495.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$1.17 ¥7.79

112.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$0.83 ¥5.56

251.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.55 ¥3.69

109.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$4.56 ¥30.50

-27.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$9.01 ¥60.2

105.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$1.06 ¥7.11

115.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$2.06 ¥13.77

59.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.39 ¥2.59

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$43.93 ¥294

3.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$1.73 ¥11.59

101.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.36 ¥2.38

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$10.20 ¥68.2

-14.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.28 ¥8.58

17.19%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$19.6K ¥131.3K

48.18%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$17.7K ¥118.6K

58.86%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$99.4 ¥664

110.13%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$12.81 ¥85.6

174.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$11.12 ¥74.4

90.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$33.16 ¥222

72.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$18.47 ¥123

-13.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$5.85 ¥39.09

93.68%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$1,213 ¥8,105

56.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$21.4K ¥143.0K

5.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$52.4 ¥350

12.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$41.14 ¥275

-21.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$83.3 ¥557

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$86.6 ¥578

-4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$457 ¥3,057

93.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$193 ¥1,292

222.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$1,033 ¥6,902

141.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$594 ¥3,971

114.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$5,329 ¥35.6K

460.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$2,773 ¥18.5K

327.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$1,381 ¥9,231

164.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.53

15.58%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Suzhou: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Suzhou

$193 22.3% 69% $430

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Suzhou

$221 25.5% 53.9% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Suzhou

$123 14.3% 53.5% $142

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Suzhou

$115 13.3% 37.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Suzhou

$119 13.7% 8.1% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Suzhou

$45 5.2% 43.9% $35

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Suzhou

$49 5.7% 13.3% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $457 in Suzhou. 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 164% 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 $29.00 in Suzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $221 – making Suzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Suzhou

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

14:10 2:10 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

12,748,262

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Suzhou 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 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 Suzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 108% more than Suzhou, 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 $1,313 in Suzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 4% less in Suzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $1,213 in Suzhou. 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 Suzhou, where all-in costs run around $876, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Suzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Suzhou – 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 Suzhou. 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.