Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotabato City and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $764 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
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Cotabato City Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$764

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $764 in Cotabato City versus $1,804 in Seoul.

Cotabato City $764
Seoul $1,804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,169 in Cotabato City versus $2,877 in Seoul.

Cotabato City $1,169
Seoul $2,877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in Cotabato City versus $3,950 in Seoul.

Cotabato City $1,574
Seoul $3,950

Living in Cotabato City costs roughly 58% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cotabato City is 44% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 ₱293

$9.10 ₩12.1K

-48.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.57 ₱1,044

$66.7 ₩88.6K

-75.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 ₱252

$7.49 ₩9,959

-46.60%

Cappuccino

$2.23 ₱141

$4.19 ₩5,569

-46.78%

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

$1.04 ₱65.4

$1.55 ₩2,067

-32.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.49

$0.79 ₩1,055

-18.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.4

$3.64 ₩4,846

-67.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱120

$6.14 ₩8,164

-68.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₱127

$2.11 ₩2,811

-4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱68.0

$3.05 ₩4,051

-64.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₱49.16

$4.21 ₩5,599

-81.47%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱119

$3.54 ₩4,709

-46.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-64.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 ₱294

$10.35 ₩13.8K

-54.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ₱570

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-65.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-65.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₱69.9

$3.44 ₩4,578

-67.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ₱154

$5.64 ₩7,493

-56.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$6.41 ₩8,517

-81.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$3.71 ₩4,938

-47.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.55 ₱224

$2.52 ₩3,345

40.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.4

$2.87 ₩3,816

-58.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱44.58

$1.16 ₩1,536

-38.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 ₱156

$3.37 ₩4,480

-26.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 ₱507

$18.72 ₩24.9K

-56.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₱77.1

$2.28 ₩3,036

-46.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

$3.31 ₩4,397

-49.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.40

$1.13 ₩1,497

-76.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.02 ₱694

$46.73 ₩62.1K

-76.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.8

$3.52 ₩4,684

-76.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.37

$0.64 ₩849

-64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$8.76 ₩11.7K

-77.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$1.45 ₩1,930

-18.62%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$29.7K ₩39.4M

-27.60%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-33.74%

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

$108 ₱6,788

$211 ₩280.4K

-48.87%

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

$19.38 ₱1,220

$35.36 ₩47.0K

-45.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.55 ₱1,986

$20.57 ₩27.4K

53.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.71 ₱2,060

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-43.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.78 ₱301

$16.20 ₩21.5K

-70.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 ₱292

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-59.19%

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

$107 ₱6,709

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-94.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,519 ₱473.4K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

-66.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.49 ₱2,109

$57.5 ₩76.4K

-41.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.69 ₱1,240

$33.08 ₩44.0K

-40.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ₱4,483

$70.1 ₩93.2K

1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 ₱3,825

$84.3 ₩112.0K

-27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₱17.0K

$878 ₩1.2M

-69.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.0K

$624 ₩829.7K

-72.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ₱33.0K

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-79.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.5K

$1,287 ₩1.7M

-72.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,445 ₱154.0K

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-91.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$999 ₱62.9K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-91.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

4.08

103.68%

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

Last update for Cotabato City: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cotabato City

$199 26.1%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 141% $280

Accommodation & Living

Cotabato City

$174 22.8%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 259% $450

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotabato City

$159 20.8%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 68.1% $108

Eating Out

Cotabato City

$92 12.1%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 101% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Cotabato City

$83 10.9%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 32.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Cotabato City

$42 5.5%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 91.5% $38

Getting Around

Cotabato City

$14 1.8%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 313% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Cotabato City and $878 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Cotabato City vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $480 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

1 h ahead of Cotabato City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,079

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cotabato City Seoul 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cotabato City
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

Cotabato City vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 136% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,146 in Cotabato City and $2,707 in Seoul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Cotabato City versus $878 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $764 per month in Cotabato City versus $1,804 in Seoul – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 324% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Cotabato City versus $1,804 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City 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, Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.