Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Yilan

For one person, living is cheaper in Yilan: $1,008 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Yilan
Learn more

Yilan Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Yilan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Yilan

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $1,008 in Yilan, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Yilan $1,008

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,731 in Yilan, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Yilan $1,731

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $2,455 in Yilan, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Yilan $2,455

Seoul costs about 78% more than Yilan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Yilan is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.55 NT$115

147.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$29.99 NT$973

127.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.61 NT$149

63.56%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.88 NT$93.5

46.88%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.03 NT$33.33

58.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.65 NT$21.18

13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.52 NT$49.41

139.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.88 NT$93.4

113.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$3.16 NT$102

-36.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.71 NT$55.3

83.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.74 NT$88.7

57.66%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.62 NT$84.9

37.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$28.52 NT$925

-37.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$8.15 NT$264

28.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$17.07 NT$554

51.14%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$4.36 NT$142

75.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.89 NT$61.3

78.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.10 NT$100

87.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$2.17 NT$70.5

195.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.19 NT$38.51

215.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.88 NT$61.1

35.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.41 NT$78.0

17.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.86 NT$27.78

29.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.87 NT$125

-13.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$15.70 NT$509

17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.40 NT$45.55

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.45 NT$79.3

37.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.75 NT$24.37

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$36.68 NT$1,189

25.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$2.75 NT$89.1

26.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.97 NT$31.37

-35.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$9.39 NT$305

-5.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.02 NT$33.23

48.04%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$25.1K NT$814.8K

16.50%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.5K NT$633.9K

44.31%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$47.16 NT$1,529

361.24%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.12 NT$490

132.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$21.30 NT$691

-0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$31.11 NT$1,009

86.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$7.85 NT$255

44.08%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$340 NT$11.0K

472.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$16.6K NT$537.7K

37.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$54.9 NT$1,781

3.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$31.44 NT$1,020

6.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$84.0 NT$2,723

-14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$62.2 NT$2,016

32.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$275 NT$8,930

227.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$254 NT$8,237

140.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$995 NT$32.3K

153.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$727 NT$23.6K

74.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$7,893 NT$256.0K

272.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$4,975 NT$161.3K

139.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,041 NT$33.8K

250.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

2.27

79.74%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Yilan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Yilan

$254 25.2% 58.5% $358

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Yilan

$375 37.2% 21.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Yilan

$84 8.3% 69.5% $190

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Yilan

$97 9.6% 47.3% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Yilan

$105 10.4% 4.9% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Yilan

$47 4.7% 42% $34

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Yilan

$47 4.7% 17.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $275 in Yilan. 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 251% 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 $30.00 in Yilan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $375 – making Yilan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇹🇼 Yilan

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

95,907

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Yilan 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Yilan

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 Yilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 78% more than Yilan, 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 $1,512 in Yilan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 26% less in Yilan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $340 in Yilan. 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 Yilan, where all-in costs run around $1,008, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Yilan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yilan – 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 Yilan. 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.