Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Yantai

For one person, living is cheaper in Yantai: $629 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Yantai
Learn more

Yantai Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Yantai

🇨🇳 China

$629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Yantai

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $629 in Yantai, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Yantai $629

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $926 in Yantai, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Yantai $926

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,223 in Yantai, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Yantai $1,223

Seoul costs about 185% more than Yantai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Yantai is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.92 ¥19.55

201.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$18.14 ¥121

276.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.58 ¥30.65

64.63%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.81 ¥18.78

50.53%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.54 ¥3.58

201.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.32 ¥2.15

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.05 ¥7.01

246.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.60 ¥17.39

136.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.96 ¥13.11

2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.35 ¥9.01

131.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.83 ¥5.58

420.48%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.35 ¥9.02

167.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$16.32 ¥109

9.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.28 ¥21.94

218.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.89 ¥46.04

274.46%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.37 ¥9.19

459.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$0.89 ¥5.98

279.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.07 ¥7.16

442.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$0.74 ¥4.92

766.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.67 ¥4.49

459.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.78 ¥5.24

225.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.58 ¥3.91

389.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.63 ¥4.19

76.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.65 ¥24.39

-8.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$11.68 ¥78.1

58.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.78 ¥5.25

207.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.03 ¥6.88

227.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.21 ¥1.40

442.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.36 ¥9.11

156.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.29 ¥1.92

117.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$6.48 ¥43.30

36.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.23 ¥8.20

22.76%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.3K ¥129.0K

51.71%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$16.4K ¥109.8K

71.84%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$44.64 ¥298

387.28%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$6.79 ¥45.37

417.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$6.09 ¥40.75

249.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$29.60 ¥198

96.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$7.43 ¥49.69

116.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.44 ¥36.37

107.90%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$363 ¥2,426

436.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$16.6K ¥111.2K

37.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$17.97 ¥120

217.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$22.78 ¥152

46.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$93.7 ¥626

-23.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$90.2 ¥603

-8.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$223 ¥1,490

304.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$151 ¥1,010

305.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$353 ¥2,358

616.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$147 ¥982

761.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,056 ¥20.4K

862.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$5,096 ¥34.1K

133.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,063 ¥7,107

243.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.37

21.07%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Yantai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Yantai

$151 24% 75.3% $461

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Yantai

$191 30.3% 60% $286

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Yantai

$58 9.1% 79% $216

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Yantai

$85 13.5% 53.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Yantai

$101 16.1% 8.1% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Yantai

$40 6.4% 49.8% $40

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Yantai

$3.6 * 0.6% 93.7% $54

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 $223 in Yantai. 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 243% 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 $18.00 in Yantai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $191 – making Yantai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Yantai

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

23:58 11:58 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,871,000

💱 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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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 Yantai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 185% more than Yantai, 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 $944 in Yantai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $629 in Yantai. That's a gap of about 185%.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $363 in Yantai. 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 Yantai, where all-in costs run around $629, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Yantai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yantai – 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 Yantai. 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.