Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Xiangtan

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiangtan: $707 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Xiangtan
Learn more

Xiangtan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Xiangtan

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Xiangtan

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $707 in Xiangtan, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Xiangtan $707

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $1,119 in Xiangtan, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Xiangtan $1,119

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $1,531 in Xiangtan, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Xiangtan $1,531

Seoul costs about 158% more than Xiangtan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Xiangtan is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$2.82 ¥18.84

222.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.4K

$21.94 ¥147

205.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,900

$4.92 ¥32.89

50.81%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,448

$2.98 ¥19.90

36.91%

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

$1.60 ₩2,132

$0.44 ¥2.93

263.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,074

$0.27 ¥1.80

196.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,867

$0.94 ¥6.28

288.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,924

$2.03 ¥13.58

192.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,731

$1.78 ¥11.89

15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,113

$1.54 ¥10.27

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,623

$0.90 ¥6.04

367.78%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,765

$1.59 ¥10.59

124.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.0K

$12.90 ¥86.2

39.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.2K

$3.26 ¥21.76

226.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.3K

$10.24 ¥68.4

158.20%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,906

$1.80 ¥12.02

312.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,713

$1.25 ¥8.37

182.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,834

$1.52 ¥10.17

286.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,500

$1.15 ¥7.68

453.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,008

$0.69 ¥4.63

443.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,323

$0.94 ¥6.31

164.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,895

$0.60 ¥4.02

386.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$0.54 ¥3.61

112.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,390

$3.14 ¥20.99

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$10.52 ¥70.3

75.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,044

$0.75 ¥5.04

204.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,380

$1.65 ¥11.00

98.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,519

$0.27 ¥1.80

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.7K

$16.93 ¥113

168.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,644

$1.41 ¥9.43

146.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩800

$0.32 ¥2.17

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.6K

$6.63 ¥44.30

31.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩1,996

$1.18 ¥7.90

27.12%

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

$29.1K ₩38.9M

$19.5K ¥130.4K

49.17%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$16.9K ¥113.1K

66.57%

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

$209 ₩278.8K

$44.88 ¥300

365.40%

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

$35.13 ₩46.9K

$10.05 ¥67.2

249.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.3K

$11.93 ¥79.7

77.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.5K

$40.95 ¥274

40.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.2K

$13.70 ¥91.6

15.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.1K

$5.87 ¥39.21

93.02%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$337 ¥2,253

464.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.1M

$17.1K ¥114.2K

31.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.6K

$43.90 ¥293

34.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩42.9K

$30.68 ¥205

4.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.6K

$70.5 ¥471

-0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$72.6 ¥485

13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$274 ¥1,833

222.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩832.2K

$192 ¥1,286

224.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$589 ¥3,936

323.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$356 ¥2,381

257.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩39.8M

$3,066 ¥20.5K

873.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.8M

$2,049 ¥13.7K

478.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.89

4.88%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Xiangtan: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Xiangtan

$192 27% 69.1% $431

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Xiangtan

$198 27.8% 58.6% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Xiangtan

$67 9.4% 74.8% $198

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Xiangtan

$85 11.9% 53.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Xiangtan

$98 13.7% 10.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Xiangtan

$53 7.4% 34.1% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Xiangtan

$21 3% 62.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $274 in Xiangtan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Seoul versus $22.00 in Xiangtan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $198 – making Xiangtan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Xiangtan

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

12:37 12:37 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,748,552

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Xiangtan 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Xiangtan

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 Xiangtan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 158% more than Xiangtan, 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 $1,061 in Xiangtan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 169% less in Xiangtan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $337 in Xiangtan. 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 Xiangtan, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Xiangtan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Xiangtan – 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 Xiangtan. 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.