Suwon at a glance
- Suwon ranks 2nd of 5 priced cities in South Korea on cost: $885 a month in essentials, 2% above Incheon, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $2,255 covers that 2.5×.
- 110.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at city level.
- PM2.5 averages 26.4 µg/m³ a year, 5× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 South Korea cities we track, so every row says whether Suwon is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $885 | $973 | $88 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $317 | $331 | $14 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $396 | $555 | 1.40ร as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $196 | $196 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $142 | $168 | $26 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $187 | $189 | $2 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $43 | $43 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,255 | $2,255 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $723 | $647 | $76 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,063 | $1,172 | $109 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Suwon, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.78 | $6.78 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $27.13 | $33.91 | $6.78 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.78 | $6.10 | $0.68 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.97 | $3.40 | $0.43 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.39 | $3.39 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.41 | $4.41 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.37 | $1.47 | $0.10 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.66 | $0.76 | $0.10 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.37 | $2.13 | $0.24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.37 | $2.82 | $0.45 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.00 | $2.84 | $0.16 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.88 | $2.88 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.16 | $10.61 | $0.45 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $10.38 | $9.12 | $1.26 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $5.65 | $6.90 | $1.25 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.65 | $2.94 | $0.29 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.90 | $5.39 | 1.38ร as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.17 | $3.17 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.41 | $2.38 | $0.03 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.20 | $1.19 | $0.01 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.12 | $1.05 | $0.07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $43.07 | $43.07 | same |
| Taxi start | $2.58 | $3.26 | 1.26ร as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.61 | $0.56 | $0.05 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.20 | $1.23 | $0.03 |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $169.35 | $171.02 | $1.67 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $17.29 | $18.24 | $0.95 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $15.73 | $31.06 | 1.97ร as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $39.79 | $46.80 | $7.01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.17 | $10.17 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Suwon has 110.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (city level). That is the 2nd-highest of 6 South Korea cities we track. South Korea's national figure is 111.9, so Suwon runs 1 below the country as a whole.
Every South Korea region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Suwon ranks against every city we track
Suwon sits ahead of 98% of the 534 cities we track on salary against local costs. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 78% of 553. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 10% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Suwon sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Need the full South Korea model?
Open the gated deep-dive for city shortlist, cost detail, weather, visa, tax, dating-market signals, and subregion rankings.
Unlock South Korea deep-dive
Photo: ๋ณธ์ธ, CC BY-SA 3.0.
