Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Zhengzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhengzhou: $683 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Zhengzhou
Learn more

Zhengzhou Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Zhengzhou

🇨🇳 China

$683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Zhengzhou

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $683 in Zhengzhou, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Zhengzhou $683

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,088 in Zhengzhou, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Zhengzhou $1,088

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,492 in Zhengzhou, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Zhengzhou $1,492

Seoul costs about 163% more than Zhengzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Zhengzhou is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.17 ¥14.54

305.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$16.72 ¥112

308.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.57 ¥30.54

64.99%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.41 ¥16.13

75.52%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.57 ¥3.80

185.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.28 ¥1.88

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.88 ¥5.90

313.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.66 ¥11.07

270.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.74 ¥11.60

15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.71 ¥11.42

83.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.89 ¥5.92

385.39%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$0.98 ¥6.58

268.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$8.26 ¥55.2

115.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.16 ¥21.15

230.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$10.52 ¥70.3

145.25%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.49 ¥9.97

414.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.04 ¥6.93

225.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.07 ¥7.15

442.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.17 ¥7.81

447.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.67 ¥4.48

459.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.73 ¥4.91

247.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.67 ¥4.50

323.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.71 ¥4.77

56.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.31 ¥22.15

1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$14.74 ¥98.6

25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.94 ¥6.32

155.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.10 ¥14.02

60.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.13 ¥0.90

776.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$14.89 ¥99.6

209.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.46 ¥9.75

139.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.31 ¥2.10

103.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$3.54 ¥23.67

150.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.27 ¥8.52

18.90%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.2K ¥128.6K

52.18%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$17.4K ¥116.6K

61.78%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$70.2 ¥469

209.95%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$7.19 ¥48.08

388.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$10.50 ¥70.2

102.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$40.79 ¥273

42.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$13.58 ¥90.8

18.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$6.01 ¥40.17

88.19%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$391 ¥2,614

398.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$30.2K ¥202.0K

-24.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$43.52 ¥291

31.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$33.43 ¥224

-0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$73.6 ¥492

-2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$70.1 ¥469

17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$215 ¥1,436

319.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$162 ¥1,085

277.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$574 ¥3,839

339.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$370 ¥2,473

242.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,825 ¥18.9K

941.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,515 ¥10.1K

685.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$918 ¥6,137

297.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.29

24.01%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zhengzhou: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Zhengzhou

$162 23.8% 73.5% $450

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Zhengzhou

$191 28% 60% $286

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Zhengzhou

$88 12.9% 67.9% $186

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Zhengzhou

$71 10.4% 61.3% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Zhengzhou

$99 14.5% 9.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Zhengzhou

$53 7.7% 34.5% $28

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Zhengzhou

$18 2.7% 67.8% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $215 in Zhengzhou. 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 298% 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 $17.00 in Zhengzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $191 – making Zhengzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Zhengzhou

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

05:10 5:10 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

12,600,574

💱 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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Seoul Zhengzhou 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Zhengzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 163% more than Zhengzhou, 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 $1,024 in Zhengzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 210% less in Zhengzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $391 in Zhengzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhengzhou, where all-in costs run around $683, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Zhengzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhengzhou – 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 Zhengzhou. 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.