Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in El Nido vs $1,804 in Seoul, rent included.

El Nido $739
Seoul $1,804

A couple spends around $1,148 per month in El Nido vs $2,877 in Seoul, rent included.

El Nido $1,148
Seoul $2,877

A family of three spends $1,557 per month in El Nido vs $3,950 in Seoul, rent included.

El Nido $1,557
Seoul $3,950

El Nido is about 59% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

El Nido sits 45% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.84 ₱305

$9.10 ₩12.1K

-46.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.13 ₱1,771

$66.7 ₩88.6K

-57.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 ₱233

$7.49 ₩9,959

-50.60%

Cappuccino

$2.25 ₱142

$4.19 ₩5,569

-46.30%

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

$1.17 ₱73.8

$1.55 ₩2,067

-24.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.45

$0.79 ₩1,055

-59.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₱81.8

$3.64 ₩4,846

-64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$6.14 ₩8,164

-67.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱100

$2.11 ₩2,811

-24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₱63.1

$3.05 ₩4,051

-67.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.4

$4.21 ₩5,599

-69.36%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$3.54 ₩4,709

-44.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 ₱336

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-70.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 ₱250

$10.35 ₩13.8K

-61.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱439

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-73.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ₱142

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-71.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.1

$3.44 ₩4,578

-55.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$5.64 ₩7,493

-59.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱72.8

$6.41 ₩8,517

-81.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$3.71 ₩4,938

-47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 ₱127

$2.52 ₩3,345

-20.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$2.87 ₩3,816

-67.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.65

$1.16 ₩1,536

-54.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₱211

$3.37 ₩4,480

-0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ₱456

$18.72 ₩24.9K

-61.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₱62.9

$2.28 ₩3,036

-56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱118

$3.31 ₩4,397

-43.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.07

$1.13 ₩1,497

-78.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.28 ₱648

$46.73 ₩62.1K

-78.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₱53.8

$3.52 ₩4,684

-75.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$0.64 ₩849

-68.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ₱108

$8.76 ₩11.7K

-80.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.3

$1.45 ₩1,930

-9.66%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$29.7K ₩39.4M

-35.34%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-23.41%

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

$121 ₱7,638

$211 ₩280.4K

-42.47%

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

$14.38 ₱906

$35.36 ₩47.0K

-59.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.44 ₱1,539

$20.57 ₩27.4K

18.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 ₱2,197

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-39.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.99 ₱251

$16.20 ₩21.5K

-75.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 ₱329

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-54.00%

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

$124 ₱7,818

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-93.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,869 ₱432.4K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

-69.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.86 ₱2,132

$57.5 ₩76.4K

-41.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.81 ₱1,185

$33.08 ₩44.0K

-43.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 ₱4,211

$70.1 ₩93.2K

-4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.95 ₱3,145

$84.3 ₩112.0K

-40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$878 ₩1.2M

-69.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.2K

$624 ₩829.7K

-71.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₱33.7K

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-78.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$1,287 ₩1.7M

-72.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 ₱164.1K

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-91.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$900 ₱56.7K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-92.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 ₱16.2K

$3,599 ₩4.8M

-92.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.08

66.42%

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

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$177 24%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 252% $447

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$174 23.6%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 175% $305

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$160 21.7%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 66.6% $107

Eating Out

El Nido

$93 12.6%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 98.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$76 10.3%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 44.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$45 6.1%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 77.4% $35

Getting Around

El Nido

$13 1.8%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 343% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in El Nido versus $878 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1302% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in El Nido versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $480 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

02:58 2:58 AM

1 h ahead of El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

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 20, 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 20, 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

El Nido Seoul 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

El Nido
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

El Nido vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $739 in El Nido, $1,804 in Seoul – roughly 144% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,109 per month in El Nido and $2,707 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 355% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $124 per month in El Nido and $1,967 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Seoul at $1,804. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Nido – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with El Nido. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.