Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Uijeongbu and Shanghai

For one person, living costs are similar in Uijeongbu and in Shanghai: $1,239 and $1,222 a month, rent and utilities included.

60

Cost of Living Index in Uijeongbu
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Uijeongbu Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Uijeongbu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,239

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Uijeongbu and in Shanghai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,239 in Uijeongbu versus $1,222 in Shanghai.

Uijeongbu $1,239
Shanghai $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,889 in Uijeongbu versus $1,971 in Shanghai.

Uijeongbu $1,889
Shanghai $1,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Uijeongbu versus $2,720 in Shanghai.

Uijeongbu $2,538
Shanghai $2,720

Living in Uijeongbu is roughly 1% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Uijeongbu 9% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 ₩8,811

$4.53 ¥30.12

46.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.36 ₩45.6K

$30.16 ¥201

13.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 ₩8,847

$5.11 ¥34.04

30.33%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₩4,943

$3.41 ¥22.70

9.09%

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

$1.54 ₩2,051

$0.58 ¥3.85

165.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₩989

$0.35 ¥2.36

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 ₩4,707

$1.23 ¥8.22

188.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₩5,902

$2.31 ¥15.38

92.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,716

$1.88 ¥12.52

9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 ₩4,180

$1.94 ¥12.88

62.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₩2,993

$0.98 ¥6.52

129.59%

Eggs

$3.32 ₩4,406

$1.70 ¥11.31

95.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 ₩20.5K

$17.02 ¥113

-9.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$3.22 ¥21.42

145.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 ₩15.2K

$12.93 ¥86.0

-11.14%

Apples (1kg)

$7.62 ₩10.1K

$2.15 ¥14.31

254.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.26 ₩4,328

$1.73 ¥11.48

88.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.67 ₩7,523

$2.03 ¥13.51

179.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.17 ₩8,196

$1.73 ¥11.54

256.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,768

$0.83 ¥5.51

332.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 ₩3,148

$0.92 ¥6.13

157.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 ₩2,720

$0.67 ¥4.48

205.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,545

$0.59 ¥3.92

96.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₩4,524

$3.77 ¥25.10

-9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₩25.1K

$11.03 ¥73.4

71.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₩3,013

$0.90 ¥6.00

152.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₩4,286

$1.60 ¥10.68

101.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,516

$0.57 ¥3.81

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 ₩4,658

$2.14 ¥14.25

64.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₩787

$0.47 ¥3.10

25.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 ₩12.1K

$8.74 ¥58.2

4.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₩1,859

$1.34 ¥8.94

4.48%

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

$29.5K ₩39.1M

$19.3K ¥128.1K

53.14%

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

$28.2K ₩37.4M

$18.3K ¥121.7K

54.31%

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

$210 ₩279.0K

$58.9 ¥392

256.81%

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

$34.87 ₩46.3K

$7.90 ¥52.6

341.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.08 ₩28.0K

$10.60 ¥70.6

98.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ₩71.1K

$64.8 ¥431

-17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.84 ₩18.4K

$17.47 ¥116

-20.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 ₩14.8K

$9.06 ¥60.3

23.18%

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

$373 ₩495.3K

$1,587 ¥10.6K

-76.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₩24.0M

$28.2K ¥187.9K

-35.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ₩78.6K

$54.6 ¥363

8.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.30 ₩42.9K

$37.21 ¥248

-13.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 ₩94.7K

$74.6 ¥496

-4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 ₩108.0K

$106 ¥707

-23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₩354.3K

$1,026 ¥6,827

-73.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 ₩296.9K

$559 ¥3,722

-60.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 ₩646.3K

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-81.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 ₩545.7K

$1,191 ¥7,928

-65.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,146 ₩9.5M

$13.4K ¥89.0K

-46.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 ₩7.3M

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-15.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,265 ₩3.0M

$1,712 ¥11.4K

32.30%

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 Uijeongbu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Uijeongbu

$399 32.2%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 40.7% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Uijeongbu

$266 21.5%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 70.9% $189

Accommodation & Living

Uijeongbu

$224 18.1%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 150% $336

Eating Out

Uijeongbu

$154 12.4%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 30.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Uijeongbu

$110 8.9%

Shanghai

$123 10% 11.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Uijeongbu

$76 6.1%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 9.2% $7

Getting Around

Uijeongbu

$11 * 0.9%

Shanghai

$36 3% 230% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $267 in Uijeongbu and $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uijeongbu pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Uijeongbu vs $30 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $237 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Uijeongbu

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

18:18 6:18 PM

1 h behind Uijeongbu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

463,077

24,870,895

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.53 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,477 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Uijeongbu Shanghai 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Uijeongbu
Shanghai

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

Uijeongbu vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uijeongbu and Shanghai differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,239 vs $1,222 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Uijeongbu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $267 in Uijeongbu versus $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Uijeongbu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,239 per month in Uijeongbu versus $1,222 in Shanghai – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Shanghai gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

It comes down to priorities – Shanghai wins on affordability, Uijeongbu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.