Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iloilo and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $693 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Iloilo
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Iloilo Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Iloilo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$693

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $693 per month in Iloilo vs $1,822 in Seoul, rent included.

Iloilo $693
Seoul $1,822

A couple spends around $1,054 per month in Iloilo vs $2,847 in Seoul, rent included.

Iloilo $1,054
Seoul $2,847

A family of three spends $1,416 per month in Iloilo vs $3,872 in Seoul, rent included.

Iloilo $1,416
Seoul $3,872

Iloilo is about 62% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Iloilo sits 48% below the global median, while Seoul is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.83 ₱177

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-68.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.43 ₱1,219

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-71.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.15 ₱198

$7.42 ₩9,941

-57.55%

Cappuccino

$2.09 ₱131

$4.08 ₩5,470

-48.77%

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

$0.65 ₱40.93

$1.60 ₩2,141

-59.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.39

$0.80 ₩1,078

-57.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₱66.6

$3.65 ₩4,886

-70.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₱113

$5.94 ₩7,956

-69.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱106

$2.05 ₩2,742

-17.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₱75.1

$3.08 ₩4,130

-61.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱52.9

$4.21 ₩5,646

-80.05%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.57 ₩4,784

-42.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 ₱379

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-66.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-62.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 ₱388

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-76.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ₱208

$7.42 ₩9,946

-55.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.3

$3.53 ₩4,732

-70.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 ₱192

$5.87 ₩7,866

-47.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 ₱86.4

$6.37 ₩8,534

-78.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ₱150

$3.75 ₩5,028

-36.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 ₱170

$2.49 ₩3,337

8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ₱92.4

$2.92 ₩3,911

-49.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₱50.8

$1.15 ₩1,542

-29.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$3.29 ₩4,408

-9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 ₱388

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-66.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₱68.8

$2.28 ₩3,057

-51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱78.8

$3.28 ₩4,398

-61.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.09

$1.14 ₩1,526

-78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.59 ₱288

$45.47 ₩60.9K

-89.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.4

$3.48 ₩4,663

-76.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₱21.10

$0.60 ₩803

-43.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₱148

$8.70 ₩11.7K

-72.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₱72.9

$1.50 ₩2,004

-22.67%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-25.22%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-30.71%

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

$64.5 ₱4,044

$209 ₩279.9K

-69.13%

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

$9.82 ₱616

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-72.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.65 ₱1,734

$21.18 ₩28.4K

30.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.76 ₱612

$57.3 ₩76.8K

-82.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 ₱295

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-58.52%

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

$31.77 ₱1,993

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-98.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.50 ₱1,474

$58.9 ₩78.9K

-60.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.74 ₱1,113

$32.12 ₩43.0K

-44.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.5 ₱3,480

$70.1 ₩94.0K

-20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.96 ₱1,503

$82.5 ₩110.5K

-70.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$308 ₱19.3K

$885 ₩1.2M

-65.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 ₱15.4K

$624 ₩835.5K

-60.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 ₱74.3K

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-52.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 ₱27.4K

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-65.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,633 ₱227.9K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-87.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,055 ₱66.2K

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-91.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 ₱12.9K

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-94.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.33

4.08

79.66%

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

Last update for Iloilo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iloilo

$246 35.8%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 153% $377

Groceries & Markets

Iloilo

$188 27.3%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 155% $291

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iloilo

$102 14.8%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 160% $163

Eating Out

Iloilo

$70 10.2%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 162% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Iloilo

$54 7.9%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 102% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Iloilo

$19 2.8%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 317% $61

Getting Around

Iloilo

$8.1 1.2%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 601% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $308 in Iloilo versus $885 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 1672% 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 $19.00 in Iloilo versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $479 – making Iloilo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Iloilo

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

12:32 12:32 PM

1 h ahead of Iloilo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

457,626

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

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Highest

Between locations

Iloilo Seoul 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Iloilo
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

Iloilo vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 163%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,040 per month in Iloilo and $2,733 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Iloilo and $67.0 in Seoul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $693 in Iloilo and $1,822 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 163%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iloilo, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Iloilo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iloilo – 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 Iloilo. 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.