Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Yichang

For one person, living is cheaper in Yichang: $714 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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 Yichang
Learn more

Yichang Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Yichang

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Yichang

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $714 in Yichang, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Yichang $714

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,132 in Yichang, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Yichang $1,132

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,551 in Yichang, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Yichang $1,551

Seoul costs about 151% more than Yichang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.74 ¥18.33

221.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$21.74 ¥145

214.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.88 ¥32.63

54.51%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.96 ¥19.77

42.91%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.47 ¥3.11

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.27 ¥1.79

174.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.88 ¥5.91

313.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.11 ¥14.12

191.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.86 ¥12.41

8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.60 ¥10.73

95.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.95 ¥6.34

354.74%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.53 ¥10.24

135.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$12.98 ¥86.8

37.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.26 ¥21.81

220.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$10.11 ¥67.6

155.19%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.79 ¥11.94

327.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.21 ¥8.09

179.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.53 ¥10.25

279.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.15 ¥7.66

457.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.75 ¥5.00

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.94 ¥6.31

170.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.55 ¥3.70

416.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.55 ¥3.70

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.16 ¥21.10

6.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$10.71 ¥71.6

72.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.76 ¥5.05

215.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.59 ¥10.63

111.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.27 ¥1.79

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$16.48 ¥110

179.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.36 ¥9.09

156.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.35 ¥2.35

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$6.55 ¥43.81

35.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.12 ¥7.50

34.82%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.3K ¥128.8K

51.97%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$17.3K ¥115.4K

63.50%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$45.21 ¥302

381.13%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.71 ¥64.9

262.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$11.62 ¥77.7

83.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$42.47 ¥284

36.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$13.74 ¥91.9

17.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.95 ¥39.81

90.08%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$329 ¥2,202

491.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$16.7K ¥111.8K

36.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$43.70 ¥292

30.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$30.05 ¥201

11.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$71.1 ¥476

0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$70.8 ¥473

16.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$273 ¥1,825

229.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$192 ¥1,287

217.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$599 ¥4,006

321.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$361 ¥2,413

250.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,972 ¥19.9K

890.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,068 ¥13.8K

475.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩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 11, 2026

Last update for Yichang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Yichang

$192 26.9% 68.5% $419

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Yichang

$200 27.9% 58.2% $277

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Yichang

$67 9.3% 75.7% $207

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Yichang

$84 11.7% 54.5% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Yichang

$97 13.6% 11.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Yichang

$54 7.6% 32.6% $26

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Yichang

$21 2.9% 63.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $273 in Yichang. 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $22.00 in Yichang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $200 – making Yichang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Yichang

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

16:32 4:32 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

4,059,686

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Yichang 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Yichang

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 Yichang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 151% more than Yichang, 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 $1,071 in Yichang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 180% less in Yichang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $329 in Yichang. 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 Yichang, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Yichang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yichang – 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 Yichang. 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.