Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Makati: $1,257 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,257

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,257 in Makati versus $1,822 in Seoul.

Makati $1,257
Seoul $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,052 in Makati versus $2,847 in Seoul.

Makati $2,052
Seoul $2,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,847 in Makati versus $3,872 in Seoul.

Makati $2,847
Seoul $3,872

Living in Makati costs roughly 31% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makati is 6% below, Seoul is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 ₱411

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-27.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.13 ₱2,517

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-40.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 ₱298

$7.42 ₩9,941

-35.98%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₱166

$4.08 ₩5,470

-35.05%

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

$1.08 ₱67.6

$1.60 ₩2,141

-32.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.47

$0.80 ₩1,078

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ₱153

$3.65 ₩4,886

-33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₱195

$5.94 ₩7,956

-47.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ₱115

$2.05 ₩2,742

-10.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱77.7

$3.08 ₩4,130

-59.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$4.21 ₩5,646

-76.01%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱148

$3.57 ₩4,784

-33.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 ₱461

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-59.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱308

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-53.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 ₱427

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-74.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 ₱257

$7.42 ₩9,946

-44.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ₱125

$3.53 ₩4,732

-43.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ₱205

$5.87 ₩7,866

-44.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$6.37 ₩8,534

-64.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 ₱225

$3.75 ₩5,028

-4.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ₱216

$2.49 ₩3,337

38.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.0

$2.92 ₩3,911

-63.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$1.15 ₩1,542

-3.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.66 ₱167

$3.29 ₩4,408

-19.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 ₱502

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-56.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱84.5

$2.28 ₩3,057

-40.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$3.28 ₩4,398

-39.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ₱61.9

$1.14 ₩1,526

-13.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 ₱3,599

$45.47 ₩60.9K

26.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.39

$3.48 ₩4,663

-81.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.46

$0.60 ₩803

-61.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱118

$8.70 ₩11.7K

-78.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.0

$1.50 ₩2,004

-16.00%

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

$21.5K ₱1.3M

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-26.26%

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

$19.8K ₱1.2M

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-29.75%

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

$155 ₱9,726

$209 ₩279.9K

-25.76%

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

$15.90 ₱997

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-54.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.67 ₱2,049

$21.18 ₩28.4K

54.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ₱3,473

$57.3 ₩76.8K

-3.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 ₱910

$15.89 ₩21.3K

-8.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 ₱438

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-38.39%

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

$783 ₱49.1K

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-58.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,340 ₱460.4K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-67.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₱3,738

$58.9 ₩78.9K

1.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.48 ₱2,351

$32.12 ₩43.0K

16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 ₱5,171

$70.1 ₩94.0K

17.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₱6,383

$82.5 ₩110.5K

23.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 ₱51.9K

$885 ₩1.2M

-6.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₱26.1K

$624 ₩835.5K

-33.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 ₱145.4K

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-7.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ₱66.9K

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-16.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,082 ₱381.5K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-79.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,765 ₱236.1K

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-68.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$616 ₱38.6K

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-83.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

4.08

83.82%

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

Last update for Makati: October 6, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$416 33.8%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 49.8% $207

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$230 18.7%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 108% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$204 16.5%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 30.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.3%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 13.4% $17

Eating Out

Makati

$123 10%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 49.1% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 15.4% $11

Getting Around

Makati

$63 5.1%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 10.5% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Makati and $885 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 493% 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: $40.00 in Makati vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $479 per month, with Makati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

16:19 4:19 PM

1 h ahead of Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

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

Makati Seoul 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
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

Makati vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 493% 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: $828 in Makati versus $885 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,257 per month in Makati versus $1,822 in Seoul – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Makati runs roughly 26% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,257 in Makati versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Makati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,257 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makati hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati 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 Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.