Seoul vs Shanghai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Seoul Shanghai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1444
$1190
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4192
$3757
🏠 One person rent
$683
$635
🏘️ Family rent
$1882
$1613
🍽️ Food expenses
$510
$308
🚐 Transport expenses
$154
$117
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3018
$1455
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
18 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
95
78
🏙️ Population
9.67M
24.9M

The cost of living in Seoul is 21% more expensive than in Shanghai. Cities ranked 3641st and 4461st ($1444 vs $1190) 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 2.1 months in Seoul compared to 1.2 months in Shanghai. Seoul ranked 1st best city to live in South Korea vs Shanghai ranked 4th in China, while ranked 23rd and 558th 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
$6.81
$4.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$40.4
$40.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.01
$5.69
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.8
$1.7
☕ Cappuccino
$4.06
$3.83
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.59
$0.55
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$758
$901
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$492
$497
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2529
$2595
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1473
$1269
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$115
$39.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$174
$60.5
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$23.4
$17.9
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.76%
4.77%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$19740
$17366
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10956
$9346
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.08
$0.56
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$44.4
$37.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$9.8
$6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.24
$1.19
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.18
$2.55
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.07
$2.02
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.34
$1.47
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.82
$2.21
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.7
$18.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.89
$4.12
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$40
$12.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.59
$2.27
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.64
$1.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.04
$1.97
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.05
$1.52
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.94
$0.96
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.25
$1.04
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.75
$0.39
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.39
$1.25
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$17.9
$14.7
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.44
$0.9
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.37
$3.45
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.99
$6.43
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.98
$7.06
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.34
$1.68
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.07
$2
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$49.1
$69.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$11
$8.16
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$24.8
$89.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$9.53
$12
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.1
$66.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$81.9
$78.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$368
$1283
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19966
$28143

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
$1101
17 km or 10 mi Goyang
$1144
17 km or 10 mi Gwangmyeong
$1087
17 km or 11 mi Gwacheon
$1056
19 km or 12 mi Uijeongbu
$986
20 km or 12 mi Hanam
$1069
20 km or 12 mi Namyangju
$1106
20 km or 13 mi Seongnam
$1121
21 km or 13 mi Siheung
$1081
21 km or 13 mi Bucheon
$1152
22 km or 14 mi Anyang
$1097
23 km or 14 mi Yangju
$983
24 km or 15 mi Gunpo
$1120
26 km or 16 mi Gimpo
$1124
27 km or 17 mi Uiwang
$1054
30 km or 19 mi Gwangju
$1063
32 km or 20 mi Paju
$1072
33 km or 20 mi Ansan
$1127
33 km or 21 mi Suwon
$987
34 km or 21 mi Incheon
$1020
37 km or 23 mi Dongducheon
$1077
39 km or 24 mi Pocheon
$1041
42 km or 26 mi Yongin
$1256
47 km or 29 mi Hwaseong
$1088
49 km or 31 mi Osan
$1024
52 km or 32 mi Icheon
$949
58 km or 36 mi Kaesong
$1542
65 km or 40 mi Yeoju
$973
66 km or 41 mi Pyeongtaek
$924
69 km or 43 mi Anseong
$986
72 km or 45 mi Chuncheon
$911
83 km or 52 mi Dangjin
$1002
86 km or 53 mi Wonju
$880
87 km or 54 mi Cheonan
$940
101 km or 63 mi Seosan
$1005
107 km or 66 mi Chungju
$1009
114 km or 71 mi Cheongju
$903
118 km or 73 mi Jecheon
$967
123 km or 77 mi Haeju
$1560
124 km or 77 mi Sejong
$963

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$1074
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$731
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$771
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$763
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$1020
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$596
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$682
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$731
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$651
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$678
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$687
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$699
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$688
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$690
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$677
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$675
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$755
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$707
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$713
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$682
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$831
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$665
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$679
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$694
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$625
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$707
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$625
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$651
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$703
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$524
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$631
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$645
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$720
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$725
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$696
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$617
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$719
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$789
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$652
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$740