Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negros and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $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 Negros
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Negros Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Negros $739
Seoul $1,804

A couple spends around $1,121 per month in Negros vs $2,877 in Seoul, rent included.

Negros $1,121
Seoul $2,877

A family of three spends $1,503 per month in Negros vs $3,950 in Seoul, rent included.

Negros $1,503
Seoul $3,950

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ₱185

$9.10 ₩12.1K

-67.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.99 ₱755

$66.7 ₩88.6K

-82.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱175

$7.49 ₩9,959

-63.02%

Cappuccino

$1.40 ₱88.2

$4.19 ₩5,569

-66.59%

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

$0.67 ₱41.96

$1.55 ₩2,067

-56.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱26.27

$0.79 ₩1,055

-46.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$3.64 ₩4,846

-66.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₱123

$6.14 ₩8,164

-68.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₱121

$2.11 ₩2,811

-8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$3.05 ₩4,051

-63.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.6

$4.21 ₩5,599

-77.20%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱123

$3.54 ₩4,709

-44.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 ₱619

$18.02 ₩24.0K

-45.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 ₱284

$10.35 ₩13.8K

-56.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₱463

$26.47 ₩35.2K

-72.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ₱209

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-58.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ₱88.6

$3.44 ₩4,578

-59.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱152

$5.64 ₩7,493

-57.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$6.41 ₩8,517

-76.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$3.71 ₩4,938

-34.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₱119

$2.52 ₩3,345

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱71.7

$2.87 ₩3,816

-60.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.01

$1.16 ₩1,536

-44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$3.37 ₩4,480

-13.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 ₱385

$18.72 ₩24.9K

-67.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

$2.28 ₩3,036

-46.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱110

$3.31 ₩4,397

-47.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.37

$1.13 ₩1,497

-76.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ₱713

$46.73 ₩62.1K

-75.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.77

$3.52 ₩4,684

-77.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.64 ₩849

-64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$8.76 ₩11.7K

-78.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.9

$1.45 ₩1,930

-8.28%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$29.7K ₩39.4M

-28.86%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-31.51%

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

$120 ₱7,531

$211 ₩280.4K

-43.27%

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

$14.43 ₱908

$35.36 ₩47.0K

-59.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.86 ₱1,754

$20.57 ₩27.4K

35.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.58 ₱2,051

$57.7 ₩76.7K

-43.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.62 ₱291

$16.20 ₩21.5K

-71.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ₱342

$11.37 ₩15.1K

-52.15%

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

$130 ₱8,211

$1,967 ₩2.6M

-93.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 ₱509.8K

$22.8K ₩30.3M

-64.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.81 ₱2,066

$57.5 ₩76.4K

-42.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.16 ₱1,206

$33.08 ₩44.0K

-42.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,843

$70.1 ₩93.2K

9.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,638

$84.3 ₩112.0K

-31.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$878 ₩1.2M

-69.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.6K

$624 ₩829.7K

-72.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 ₱32.2K

$2,513 ₩3.3M

-79.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$1,287 ₩1.7M

-72.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,453 ₱154.4K

$30.4K ₩40.4M

-91.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 ₱62.5K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-91.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 ₱15.2K

$3,599 ₩4.8M

-93.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

71.57%

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

Last update for Negros: 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

Negros

$204 27.5%

Seoul

$480 26.6% 136% $276

Accommodation & Living

Negros

$169 22.9%

Seoul

$624 34.6% 270% $455

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negros

$162 21.9%

Seoul

$267 14.8% 64.8% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Negros

$84 11.4%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 31.2% $26

Eating Out

Negros

$63 8.5%

Seoul

$185 10.3% 195% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Negros

$43 5.9%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 85.2% $37

Getting Around

Negros

$14 1.9%

Seoul

$58 3.2% 305% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Negros 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 1392% 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 $12.00 in Negros versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $480 – making Negros the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Negros

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

00:20 12:20 AM

01:20 1:20 AM

1 h ahead of Negros

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,414,131

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 21, 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 21, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Negros Seoul 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Negros
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

Negros vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 144%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,109 per month in Negros 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 Negros, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 313% less in Negros. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Negros and $1,967 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Negros, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Seoul at $1,804. In Negros it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Negros – 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 Negros. 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.