Seoul vs Guangzhou Cost of Living

Seoul (South Korea) · Overall index 53.3Guangzhou (China) · Overall index 40.1

Summary

  • Overall, Guangzhou is 25% cheaper than Seoul.
  • Transport in Guangzhou is 29% cheaper than in Seoul.
  • Dining out in Guangzhou is 29% cheaper than in Seoul.
ItemSeoulGuangzhouDiff
Rent-27%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$1,128$970-14%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$885$560-37%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$2,631$1,686-36%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$1,576$1,258-20%
Groceries-23%
Milk (1L)$0.97$0.63-35%
White bread (500g)$3.03$2.19-28%
Rice (1kg)$3.33$2.72-18%
Eggs (12)$3.32$2.68-19%
Local cheese (1kg)$9.47$7.55-20%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$8.39$7.12-15%
Beef round (1kg)$14.8$9.09-39%
Apples (1kg)$4.15$2.88-31%
Bananas (1kg)$1.53$1.03-33%
Oranges (1kg)$3.36$2.61-22%
Tomatoes (1kg)$3.73$3.22-14%
Potatoes (1kg)$2.22$1.67-25%
Onions (1kg)$1.86$1.64-12%
Lettuce (1 head)$1.71$1.53-11%
Water (1.5L bottle)$1.67$1.42-15%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$11.7$8.17-30%
Transport-29%
Public transport, one-way ticket$1.68$1.13-33%
Public transport, monthly pass$68.9$52.5-24%
Taxi, base fare$2.76$1.8-35%
Taxi, per km$1.34$0.83-38%
Gasoline (1L)$0.53$0.46-13%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$18,844$13,269-30%
Dining out-29%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$14.8$10.2-31%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$84.8$57.2-33%
Fast food combo meal$7.96$6.1-23%
Cappuccino$3.11$2.47-21%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$1.89$1.19-37%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$4.53$3.34-26%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$5.53$4.2-24%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$1.43$0.92-36%
Telecom-17%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$45.1$33-27%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$47.3$40.5-14%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.22$0.2-9%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$11.3$9.49-16%
Utilities & household-25%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$130$84.8-35%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.16$0.11-31%
Tap water (1m³)$3.13$2.63-16%
Natural gas (1m³)$1.03$0.84-18%
Waste collection (monthly)$15.9$11.3-29%
Fitness club (monthly)$60.9$42.5-30%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$9.46$8.11-14%
Men's haircut$22.9$15.9-31%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$16.6$14.7-11%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$1,561$1,077-31%

3,051 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

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