Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenzhen: $1,134 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
Learn more

Shenzhen Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,134

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,134 per month in Shenzhen vs $1,822 in Seoul, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,134
Seoul $1,822

A couple spends around $1,734 per month in Shenzhen vs $2,847 in Seoul, rent included.

Shenzhen $1,734
Seoul $2,847

A family of three spends $2,333 per month in Shenzhen vs $3,872 in Seoul, rent included.

Shenzhen $2,333
Seoul $3,872

Shenzhen is about 38% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shenzhen sits 15% below the global median, while Seoul is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 ¥24.37

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-60.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.70 ¥199

$67.0 ₩90.0K

-55.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥34.24

$7.42 ₩9,964

-31.00%

Cappuccino

$3.21 ¥21.50

$4.08 ₩5,482

-21.32%

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

$0.59 ¥3.92

$1.60 ₩2,146

-63.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.80 ₩1,081

-58.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.90

$3.65 ₩4,898

-59.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$5.94 ₩7,974

-62.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥10.40

$2.05 ₩2,748

-24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.98

$3.08 ₩4,139

-46.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.30

$4.21 ₩5,659

-74.11%

Eggs

$1.76 ¥11.80

$3.57 ₩4,795

-50.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.95 ¥140

$17.95 ₩24.1K

16.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 ¥22.65

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-68.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 ¥96.2

$26.44 ₩35.5K

-45.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ¥15.49

$7.42 ₩9,969

-68.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ¥10.72

$3.53 ₩4,743

-54.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.63

$5.87 ₩7,884

-67.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.45

$6.37 ₩8,554

-77.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$3.75 ₩5,040

-71.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.29

$2.49 ₩3,345

-50.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$2.92 ₩3,920

-79.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$1.15 ₩1,545

-48.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 ¥30.40

$3.29 ₩4,418

37.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ¥79.1

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-36.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$2.28 ₩3,064

-59.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.78

$3.28 ₩4,408

-46.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$1.14 ₩1,529

-48.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 ¥147

$45.47 ₩61.1K

-51.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$3.48 ₩4,674

-58.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.60 ₩805

-36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 ¥47.75

$8.70 ₩11.7K

-18.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.07

$1.50 ₩2,008

-10.00%

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

$19.3K ¥129.5K

$29.1K ₩39.1M

-33.55%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$28.2K ₩37.9M

-34.10%

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

$63.8 ¥427

$209 ₩280.5K

-69.46%

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

$10.04 ¥67.2

$35.13 ₩47.2K

-71.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.28 ¥109

$21.18 ₩28.4K

-23.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 ¥336

$57.3 ₩77.0K

-12.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 ¥114

$15.89 ₩21.3K

7.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.71

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-35.75%

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

$523 ¥3,502

$1,902 ₩2.6M

-72.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K ¥159.4K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

5.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥369

$58.9 ₩79.1K

-6.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 ¥271

$32.12 ₩43.1K

26.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 ¥482

$70.1 ₩94.2K

2.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 ¥618

$82.5 ₩110.8K

11.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 ¥5,111

$885 ₩1.2M

-13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 ¥3,243

$624 ₩837.5K

-22.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 ¥13.0K

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-22.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ¥5,659

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-33.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥93.8K

$29.8K ₩40.1M

-53.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 ¥41.1K

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-48.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,693 ¥11.3K

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-53.59%

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 Shenzhen: October 6, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$484 42.8%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 28.7% $139

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 92.4% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$117 10.3%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 6.3% $7.4

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$99 8.7%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 86.4% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$90 8%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 194% $175

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$65 5.7%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 23.4% $15

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$28 2.4%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 104% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Shenzhen versus $885 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 115% 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 $30.00 in Shenzhen versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $479 – making Shenzhen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

16:16 4:16 PM

1 h ahead of Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shenzhen Seoul 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
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

Shenzhen vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 61% more than Shenzhen, 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 $1,701 per month in Shenzhen and $2,733 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 107% less in Shenzhen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $523 per month in Shenzhen and $1,902 in Seoul. 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 Shenzhen, where all-in costs run around $1,134, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Shenzhen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shenzhen – 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 Shenzhen. 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.