Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shantou and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Shantou: $692 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Shantou
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Shantou Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Shantou

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shantou and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shantou and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $692 per month in Shantou vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Shantou $692
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,104 per month in Shantou vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Shantou $1,104
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $1,516 per month in Shantou vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Shantou $1,516
Seoul $3,931

Shantou is about 61% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ¥15.35

$8.80 ₩11.8K

-73.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.70 ¥158

$68.4 ₩91.6K

-65.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.59

$7.54 ₩10.1K

-31.43%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ¥22.63

$4.23 ₩5,664

-20.09%

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

$0.47 ¥3.12

$1.63 ₩2,182

-71.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$0.74 ₩992

-58.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.92

$3.64 ₩4,878

-75.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.28

$6.15 ₩8,233

-65.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.71

$2.01 ₩2,698

-20.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.73

$3.13 ₩4,194

-53.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$4.32 ₩5,785

-82.18%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.33

$3.61 ₩4,828

-53.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 ¥91.1

$17.83 ₩23.9K

-23.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ¥22.91

$10.45 ₩14.0K

-67.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 ¥88.0

$25.80 ₩34.6K

-48.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$7.66 ₩10.3K

-74.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.05

$3.38 ₩4,531

-55.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.14

$5.81 ₩7,778

-68.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.70

$6.41 ₩8,580

-79.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.49

$3.75 ₩5,018

-78.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.11

$2.54 ₩3,400

-58.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$2.84 ₩3,809

-79.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.11 ₩1,483

-61.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.71

$3.35 ₩4,487

10.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 ¥80.2

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-35.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.57

$2.40 ₩3,208

-65.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ¥11.98

$3.37 ₩4,512

-46.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$1.14 ₩1,531

-68.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.27 ¥162

$46.11 ₩61.7K

-47.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$3.49 ₩4,677

-56.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.63 ₩846

-39.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 ¥48.86

$8.86 ₩11.9K

-17.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$1.51 ₩2,020

-18.54%

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

$19.8K ¥132.4K

$29.3K ₩39.2M

-32.38%

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

$18.0K ¥120.5K

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-36.12%

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

$56.7 ¥379

$218 ₩291.3K

-73.95%

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

$8.89 ¥59.5

$35.15 ₩47.1K

-74.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.86 ¥92.7

$21.29 ₩28.5K

-34.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ¥50.5

$11.31 ₩15.1K

-33.33%

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

$540 ¥3,614

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-72.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥162.1K

$22.9K ₩30.6M

6.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 ¥372

$57.0 ₩76.4K

-2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 ¥265

$33.39 ₩44.7K

18.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥489

$71.5 ₩95.7K

2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 ¥611

$82.5 ₩110.5K

10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥1,991

$901 ₩1.2M

-66.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 ¥1,011

$612 ₩819.3K

-75.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 ¥4,027

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,969

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-76.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,278 ¥15.2K

$29.4K ₩39.4M

-92.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,469 ¥29.9K

$11.9K ₩15.9M

-62.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,099

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-70.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

4.08

-17.89%

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

Last update for Shantou: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shantou

$214 31%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 123% $263

Accommodation & Living

Shantou

$151 21.8%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 305% $461

Clothing & Footwear

Shantou

$117 16.9%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 5.9% $6.9

Eating Out

Shantou

$86 12.5%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 113% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shantou

$79 11.5%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 245% $195

Getting Around

Shantou

$29 4.2%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 96.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Shantou

$15 * 2.2%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 435% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $298 in Shantou versus $901 in Seoul. 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 244% 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 $24.00 in Shantou versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $477 – making Shantou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shantou

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:52 4:52 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

1 h ahead of Shantou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,389,328

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.47 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

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).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shantou Seoul 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shantou
Seoul

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

Shantou vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 159% more than Shantou, 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 $1,038 per month in Shantou and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 90% less in Shantou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $540 per month in Shantou and $1,948 in Seoul. 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 Shantou, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Shantou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shantou – 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 Shantou. 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.