Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Yiwu

For one person, living is cheaper in Yiwu: $550 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Yiwu
Learn more

Yiwu Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Yiwu

🇨🇳 China

$550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Yiwu

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $550 in Yiwu, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Yiwu $550

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,286 in Yiwu, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Yiwu $1,286

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $2,022 in Yiwu, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Yiwu $2,022

Seoul costs about 226% more than Yiwu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Yiwu is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$2.92 ¥19.54

201.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.6K

$29.38 ¥196

132.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$5.13 ¥34.31

46.98%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,664

$3.29 ¥22.01

28.57%

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

$1.63 ₩2,182

$0.62 ¥4.15

162.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩992

$0.38 ¥2.55

94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,878

$1.22 ¥8.19

198.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,233

$2.28 ¥15.22

169.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,698

$1.85 ¥12.40

8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,194

$1.96 ¥13.09

59.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,785

$0.98 ¥6.58

340.82%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,828

$1.68 ¥11.26

114.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$17.54 ¥117

1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$3.35 ¥22.38

211.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$13.14 ¥87.9

96.35%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$2.14 ¥14.29

257.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,531

$1.75 ¥11.68

93.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,778

$1.95 ¥13.05

197.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,580

$1.66 ¥11.08

286.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,018

$0.82 ¥5.51

357.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,400

$0.94 ¥6.28

170.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,809

$0.62 ¥4.17

358.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,483

$0.59 ¥3.96

88.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,487

$3.75 ¥25.10

-10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$10.78 ¥72.1

71.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,208

$0.83 ¥5.56

189.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,512

$1.60 ¥10.67

110.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,531

$0.43 ¥2.90

165.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,677

$1.30 ¥8.73

168.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩846

$0.43 ¥2.89

46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$8.89 ¥59.4

-0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,020

$1.27 ¥8.49

18.90%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$19.6K ¥130.9K

49.59%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$18.6K ¥124.3K

51.79%

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

$218 ₩291.3K

$57.4 ¥384

278.82%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$8.10 ¥54.2

333.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$10.41 ¥69.6

104.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

$14.73 ¥98.5

294.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$11.34 ¥75.8

41.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$7.22 ¥48.25

56.65%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$1,430 ¥9,566

36.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.6M

$27.3K ¥182.5K

-16.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.4K

$53.9 ¥361

5.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.7K

$37.73 ¥252

-11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.7K

$76.8 ¥514

-6.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$73.5 ¥491

12.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$446 ¥2,985

101.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩819.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,053 ¥7,041

139.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$733 ¥4,901

72.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.4M

$11.8K ¥78.7K

150.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$2,921 ¥19.5K

307.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$748 ¥5,000

388.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.36

21.43%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Yiwu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Yiwu

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Yiwu

$238 43.2% 50.2% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Yiwu

$76 13.8% 72.3% $198

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Yiwu

$93 16.9% 49.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Yiwu

$109 19.8% 1% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Yiwu

$29 5.3% 63.9% $52

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Yiwu

$5.2 * 1% 90.9% $52

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 $446 in Yiwu. 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 388% 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 $29.00 in Yiwu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $238 – making Yiwu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Yiwu

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

16:52 4:52 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,234,015

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1,339 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Yiwu 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Yiwu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 226% more than Yiwu, 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 $825 in Yiwu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yiwu, 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 $550 in Yiwu. That's a gap of about 226%.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $1,430 in Yiwu. 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 Yiwu, where all-in costs run around $550, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Yiwu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yiwu – 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 Yiwu. 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.