Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Zhuhai

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $787 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
Learn more

Zhuhai Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Zhuhai

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $787 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Zhuhai $787

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,310 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Zhuhai $1,310

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,833 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Zhuhai $1,833

Seoul costs about 128% more than Zhuhai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Zhuhai is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.74 ¥18.31

221.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$29.77 ¥199

129.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.28 ¥35.26

42.80%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.23 ¥21.58

30.96%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.47 ¥3.16

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.35 ¥2.36

111.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.21 ¥8.11

200.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.17 ¥14.46

183.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.60 ¥10.70

25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.29 ¥8.59

142.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.10 ¥7.33

292.73%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.70 ¥11.38

112.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$4.23 ¥28.27

321.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$2.30 ¥15.34

354.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$3.85 ¥25.68

570.13%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.30 ¥8.67

489.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$0.59 ¥3.92

472.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$0.47 ¥3.15

1136.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.49 ¥9.97

330.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.76 ¥5.08

393.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.46 ¥3.10

452.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.31 ¥2.10

816.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.43 ¥2.90

158.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.95 ¥19.68

13.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$3.68 ¥24.57

402.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.61 ¥4.09

293.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.82 ¥12.14

85.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.13 ¥0.87

776.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$9.07 ¥60.6

408.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.48 ¥9.88

135.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.37 ¥2.49

70.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$7.23 ¥48.27

22.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.23 ¥8.23

22.76%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$15.5K ¥103.2K

89.41%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$13.7K ¥91.4K

106.10%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$56.1 ¥375

287.81%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.88 ¥66.0

255.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$16.63 ¥111

28.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$81.8 ¥546

-28.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$31.35 ¥209

-48.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$7.58 ¥50.6

49.21%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$521 ¥3,480

273.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$23.9K ¥159.4K

-4.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$29.35 ¥196

94.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$40.57 ¥271

-17.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$71.8 ¥479

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$90.3 ¥603

-8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$436 ¥2,909

106.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$280 ¥1,873

118.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$905 ¥6,042

179.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$656 ¥4,377

93.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$4,597 ¥30.7K

540.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,882 ¥19.2K

313.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$1,045 ¥6,977

249.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.35

21.79%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Zhuhai

$280 35.7% 54.2% $331

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Zhuhai

$119 15.1% 75.1% $358

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Zhuhai

$83 10.5% 69.8% $191

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Zhuhai

$90 11.5% 50.9% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Zhuhai

$104 13.3% 5.1% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Zhuhai

$97 12.3% 20.1% $16

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Zhuhai

$13 1.6% 77.4% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $436 in Zhuhai. 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 249% 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 Zhuhai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $119 – making Zhuhai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,207,090

💱 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 = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Zhuhai 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min 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 Zhuhai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 128% more than Zhuhai, 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 $1,180 in Zhuhai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 408% less in Zhuhai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $521 in Zhuhai. 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 Zhuhai, where all-in costs run around $787, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Zhuhai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhuhai – 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 Zhuhai. 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.