Seoul vs Shanghai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Seoul Shanghai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1486
$1165
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4433
$3823
🏠 One person rent
$692
$613
🏘️ Family rent
$2017
$1694
🍽️ Food expenses
$527
$305
🚐 Transport expenses
$161
$108
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3010
$1458
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
18 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
95
79
🏙️ Population
9.67M
24.9M

The cost of living in Seoul is 28% more expensive than in Shanghai. Cities ranked 3134th and 4418th ($1486 vs $1165) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 6th in South Korea and China, respectively. Check South Korea vs China comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2 months in Seoul compared to 1.3 months in Shanghai. Seoul ranked 1st best city to live in South Korea vs Shanghai ranked 4th in China, while ranked 21st and 435th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Seoul vs Shanghai infographic

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Prices in Seoul vs Shanghai

Prices for goods and services in Seoul and Shanghai are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Seoul Shanghai
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$6.95
$5.32
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$40
$39
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.1
$5.61
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.75
$1.61
☕ Cappuccino
$4.03
$3.89
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.57
$0.54
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$760
$845
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$497
$484
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2588
$2670
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1615
$1351
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$119
$41
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$183
$62.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$24.4
$16.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.51%
4.81%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$21611
$18653
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$12122
$9199
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.03
$0.55
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$45.9
$32.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$10.1
$5.69
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.41
$1.18
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.23
$2.53
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.2
$2.2
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.58
$1.62
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.46
$2.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.5
$17.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.7
$4.17
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$41.8
$12.3
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.85
$2.28
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.82
$1.58
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.14
$1.98
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.18
$1.49
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.31
$0.9
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.21
$1.08
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.73
$0.38
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.71
$1.2
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.8
$14.2
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.42
$0.85
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.47
$3.41
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.29
$6.25
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.01
$5.64
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.48
$1.55
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.23
$1.79
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$54.2
$63.2
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$11.2
$9.29
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$36.7
$103
💇 Haircut, simple
$12
$12.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.8
$67.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$78.8
$76.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$387
$1225
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$20250
$27798

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Seoul

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 7.9 mi Guri
$1081
17 km or 10 mi Goyang
$1105
17 km or 10 mi Gwangmyeong
$1033
17 km or 11 mi Gwacheon
$998
19 km or 12 mi Uijeongbu
$900
20 km or 12 mi Hanam
$1036
20 km or 12 mi Namyangju
$1080
20 km or 13 mi Seongnam
$1079
21 km or 13 mi Siheung
$1045
21 km or 13 mi Bucheon
$1075
22 km or 14 mi Anyang
$1022
23 km or 14 mi Yangju
$914
24 km or 15 mi Gunpo
$987
26 km or 16 mi Gimpo
$1025
27 km or 17 mi Uiwang
$976
30 km or 19 mi Gwangju
$1044
32 km or 20 mi Paju
$1028
33 km or 20 mi Ansan
$995
33 km or 21 mi Suwon
$1051
34 km or 21 mi Incheon
$1066
37 km or 23 mi Dongducheon
$995
39 km or 24 mi Pocheon
$990
42 km or 26 mi Yongin
$1309
47 km or 29 mi Hwaseong
$1038
49 km or 31 mi Osan
$1018
52 km or 32 mi Icheon
$1013
58 km or 36 mi Kaesong
$1542
65 km or 40 mi Yeoju
$983
66 km or 41 mi Pyeongtaek
$886
69 km or 43 mi Anseong
$976
72 km or 45 mi Chuncheon
$982
83 km or 52 mi Dangjin
$958
86 km or 53 mi Wonju
$959
87 km or 54 mi Cheonan
$1014
101 km or 63 mi Seosan
$906
107 km or 66 mi Chungju
$1025
114 km or 71 mi Cheongju
$821
118 km or 73 mi Jecheon
$943
123 km or 77 mi Haeju
$1550
124 km or 77 mi Sejong
$958

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1052
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$772
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$820
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$788
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$1144
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$688
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$751
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$784
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$785
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$741
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$714
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$728
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$709
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$666
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$810
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$694
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$740
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$719
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$721
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$714
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$827
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$665
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$695
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$695
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$612
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$706
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$625
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$619
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$701
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$540
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$620
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$642
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$693
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$681
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$687
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$607
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$718
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$722
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$635
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$736