Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davao and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $794 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Davao
Learn more

Davao Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$794

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $794 in Davao versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Davao $794
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,225 in Davao versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Davao $1,225
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,656 in Davao versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Davao $1,656
Seoul $3,931

Living in Davao costs roughly 56% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Davao is 41% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 ₱303

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-45.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.69 ₱1,681

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-60.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱248

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-47.75%

Cappuccino

$2.71 ₱170

$4.23 ₩5,624

-35.93%

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

$1.04 ₱65.3

$1.63 ₩2,167

-36.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.97

$0.74 ₩985

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 ₱102

$3.64 ₩4,843

-55.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$6.15 ₩8,175

-61.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₱126

$2.01 ₩2,679

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.0

$3.13 ₩4,164

-63.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.4

$4.32 ₩5,744

-78.47%

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$3.61 ₩4,794

-47.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 ₱411

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-63.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 ₱306

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-53.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 ₱578

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-64.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ₱170

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-64.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₱69.3

$3.38 ₩4,499

-67.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$5.81 ₩7,723

-59.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₱72.6

$6.41 ₩8,520

-82.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 ₱127

$3.75 ₩4,983

-46.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 ₱222

$2.54 ₩3,375

38.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$2.84 ₩3,782

-57.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.61

$1.11 ₩1,472

-38.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₱152

$3.35 ₩4,455

-27.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱489

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-57.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₱78.2

$2.40 ₩3,185

-48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

$3.37 ₩4,480

-50.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₱21.73

$1.14 ₩1,521

-69.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.58 ₱855

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-70.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.2

$3.49 ₩4,643

-76.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.41

$0.63 ₩840

-63.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₱123

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-77.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.5

$1.51 ₩2,005

-15.23%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-28.00%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-32.97%

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

$106 ₱6,688

$218 ₩289.2K

-51.16%

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

$19.39 ₱1,221

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-44.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.90 ₱2,009

$21.29 ₩28.3K

49.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.90 ₱2,135

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-41.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.61 ₱228

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-77.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 ₱296

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-58.44%

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

$107 ₱6,766

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-94.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,555 ₱475.7K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-66.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,852

$57.0 ₩75.8K

7.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.84 ₱1,942

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-7.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,502

$71.5 ₩95.0K

0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.5 ₱3,935

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ₱17.6K

$901 ₩1.2M

-68.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 ₱10.8K

$612 ₩813.5K

-71.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₱39.6K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-75.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ₱20.1K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-74.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₱103.2K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-94.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,429 ₱90.0K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-87.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 ₱13.5K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-94.14%

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 Davao: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Davao

$200 25.2%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 138% $276

Accommodation & Living

Davao

$172 21.6%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 256% $440

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davao

$158 19.8%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 73.9% $116

Eating Out

Davao

$102 12.9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 79.4% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Davao

$102 12.8%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 8.2% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Davao

$43 5.5%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 86.3% $37

Getting Around

Davao

$17 2.1%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 239% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Davao and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 1606% 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: $27.00 in Davao vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $477 per month, with Davao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Davao

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

07:42 7:42 AM

1 h ahead of Davao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,632,991

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 17, 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 17, 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

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

From you

Davao
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

Davao vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1606% 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: $280 in Davao versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Davao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $794 per month in Davao versus $1,794 in Seoul – a 126% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $794 in Davao versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Davao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Davao 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 Davao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.