Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Wuhan

For one person, living is cheaper in Wuhan: $818 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Wuhan
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Wuhan Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Wuhan

🇨🇳 China

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Wuhan

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $818 in Wuhan, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Wuhan $818

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $1,275 in Wuhan, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Wuhan $1,275

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $1,733 in Wuhan, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Wuhan $1,733

Seoul costs about 123% more than Wuhan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Wuhan is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$2.90 ¥19.35

213.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$22.29 ¥149

200.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$6.60 ¥44.14

12.42%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$2.13 ¥14.21

91.55%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.45 ¥2.98

255.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.31 ¥2.10

158.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$1.06 ¥7.08

244.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$3.43 ¥22.91

73.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$2.07 ¥13.82

-0.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.85 ¥12.34

66.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.00 ¥6.68

321.00%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$1.62 ¥10.81

120.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$13.32 ¥89.0

34.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$3.62 ¥24.17

193.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$13.38 ¥89.4

97.61%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$2.27 ¥15.17

226.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$1.21 ¥8.10

191.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$1.40 ¥9.37

319.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$1.15 ¥7.68

453.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$0.82 ¥5.51

357.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$0.83 ¥5.53

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$0.34 ¥2.29

758.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.51 ¥3.42

125.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$6.65 ¥44.46

-50.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$15.08 ¥101

22.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$0.79 ¥5.29

188.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$2.08 ¥13.90

57.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.57 ¥3.83

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$30.22 ¥202

50.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$1.52 ¥10.19

128.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.29 ¥1.91

106.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$4.16 ¥27.82

109.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.35 ¥9.02

11.11%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$19.1K ¥127.6K

52.50%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$16.8K ¥112.3K

67.72%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$58.1 ¥388

259.62%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$8.57 ¥57.3

309.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$12.07 ¥80.6

75.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$53.0 ¥354

8.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$14.93 ¥99.8

6.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$5.91 ¥39.48

91.71%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$375 ¥2,508

406.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$11.7K ¥78.3K

92.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$54.7 ¥366

7.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$33.13 ¥221

-3.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$78.8 ¥527

-10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$116 ¥778

-29.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$344 ¥2,300

157.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$203 ¥1,358

206.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$650 ¥4,345

283.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$353 ¥2,357

261.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$3,088 ¥20.6K

866.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$1,480 ¥9,894

700.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$1,137 ¥7,598

220.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.31

23.26%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Wuhan: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Wuhan

$203 24.8% 67.4% $420

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Wuhan

$228 27.7% 52.5% $251

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Wuhan

$79 9.6% 70.3% $186

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Wuhan

$84 10.2% 54.5% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Wuhan

$127 15.5% 16.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Wuhan

$65 7.9% 19% $15

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Wuhan

$35 4.3% 37.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $344 in Wuhan. 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 221% 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 Wuhan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $228 – making Wuhan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Wuhan

🕒 Local time

16:52 4:52 PM

15:52 3:52 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

12,450,000

💱 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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Between locations

Seoul Wuhan 1,400 km ≈ 2 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 Wuhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 123% more than Wuhan, 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 $1,226 in Wuhan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wuhan, 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 Wuhan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $375 in Wuhan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Wuhan, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Wuhan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wuhan – 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 Wuhan. 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.