Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $755 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Seoul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $755 in Baguio versus $1,822 in Seoul.

Baguio $755
Seoul $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,183 in Baguio versus $2,847 in Seoul.

Baguio $1,183
Seoul $2,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,611 in Baguio versus $3,872 in Seoul.

Baguio $1,611
Seoul $3,872

Living in Baguio costs roughly 59% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baguio is 44% below, Seoul is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱249

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-56.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.85 ₱1,057

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-74.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱173

$7.42 ₩9,941

-62.80%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ₱115

$4.08 ₩5,470

-54.90%

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

$0.60 ₱37.75

$1.60 ₩2,141

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.40

$0.80 ₩1,078

-57.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$3.65 ₩4,886

-72.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$5.94 ₩7,956

-72.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱106

$2.05 ₩2,742

-17.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$3.08 ₩4,130

-63.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.5

$4.21 ₩5,646

-75.53%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱126

$3.57 ₩4,784

-43.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 ₱311

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-72.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₱211

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-68.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 ₱482

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-70.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$7.42 ₩9,946

-68.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱100

$3.53 ₩4,732

-54.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$5.87 ₩7,866

-60.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.5

$6.37 ₩8,534

-83.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱104

$3.75 ₩5,028

-55.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$2.49 ₩3,337

-30.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$2.92 ₩3,911

-77.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.15

$1.15 ₩1,542

-53.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₱187

$3.29 ₩4,408

-9.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 ₱547

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-52.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.1

$2.28 ₩3,057

-57.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱130

$3.28 ₩4,398

-36.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.73

$1.14 ₩1,526

-78.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.66 ₱794

$45.47 ₩60.9K

-72.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱52.0

$3.48 ₩4,663

-76.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.60 ₩803

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$8.70 ₩11.7K

-78.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.50 ₩2,004

-16.67%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-27.39%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-31.34%

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

$142 ₱8,910

$209 ₩279.9K

-31.98%

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

$17.90 ₱1,122

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-49.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 ₱1,491

$21.18 ₩28.4K

12.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.07 ₱1,322

$57.3 ₩76.8K

-63.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 ₱325

$15.89 ₩21.3K

-67.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 ₱323

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-54.55%

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

$132 ₱8,307

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-93.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱675.4K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-52.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.14 ₱1,827

$58.9 ₩78.9K

-50.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.94 ₱1,251

$32.12 ₩43.0K

-37.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 ₱4,578

$70.1 ₩94.0K

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,480

$82.5 ₩110.5K

-32.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.3K

$885 ₩1.2M

-54.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.2K

$624 ₩835.5K

-68.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ₱51.7K

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-66.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₱28.9K

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-63.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,677 ₱167.9K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-91.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$928 ₱58.2K

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-92.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 ₱11.6K

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-94.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

4.08

65.44%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Baguio: October 3, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 25.8%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 220% $429

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$184 24.4%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 44.3% $81

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$175 23.2%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 174% $304

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$80 10.6%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 37.2% $30

Eating Out

Baguio

$74 9.8%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 148% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 155% $49

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 259% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Baguio and $885 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 1876% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Baguio vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $479 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

1 h ahead of Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Seoul 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Seoul

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

Baguio vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 141% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1876% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Baguio versus $885 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $755 per month in Baguio versus $1,822 in Seoul – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 259% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $755 in Baguio versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.