Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando, La Union and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $719 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
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San Fernando, La Union Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$719

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $719 per month in San Fernando, La Union vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

San Fernando, La Union $719
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in San Fernando, La Union vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

San Fernando, La Union $1,102
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $1,485 per month in San Fernando, La Union vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

San Fernando, La Union $1,485
Seoul $3,931

San Fernando, La Union is about 60% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Fernando, La Union sits 47% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 ₱248

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-55.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.86 ₱936

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-78.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.45 ₱154

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-67.51%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ₱121

$4.23 ₩5,624

-54.61%

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

$0.63 ₱39.53

$1.63 ₩2,167

-61.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱18.67

$0.74 ₩985

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$3.64 ₩4,843

-68.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.15 ₩8,175

-71.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$2.01 ₩2,679

-16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱67.7

$3.13 ₩4,164

-65.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.0

$4.32 ₩5,744

-76.16%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱122

$3.61 ₩4,794

-46.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 ₱402

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-64.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ₱238

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-63.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 ₱471

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-71.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-68.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱101

$3.38 ₩4,499

-52.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ₱170

$5.81 ₩7,723

-53.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$6.41 ₩8,520

-81.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.75 ₩4,983

-39.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 ₱131

$2.54 ₩3,375

-18.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₱62.8

$2.84 ₩3,782

-64.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.41

$1.11 ₩1,472

-47.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$3.35 ₩4,455

-11.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 ₱451

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-61.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱70.0

$2.40 ₩3,185

-53.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₱103

$3.37 ₩4,480

-51.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.89

$1.14 ₩1,521

-78.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.92 ₱687

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-76.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.2

$3.49 ₩4,643

-76.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.52

$0.63 ₩840

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ₱111

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-80.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱64.5

$1.51 ₩2,005

-32.45%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-28.26%

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

$18.3K ₱1.1M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-35.25%

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

$109 ₱6,863

$218 ₩289.2K

-49.89%

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

$16.96 ₱1,068

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-51.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.32 ₱1,720

$21.29 ₩28.3K

28.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.83 ₱2,067

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-43.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.60 ₱290

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-71.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.76 ₱363

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-49.07%

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

$114 ₱7,179

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-94.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,119 ₱574.1K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-60.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.24 ₱2,093

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-41.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.66 ₱1,112

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-47.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 ₱4,524

$71.5 ₩95.0K

0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 ₱3,503

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱16.5K

$901 ₩1.2M

-70.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.7K

$612 ₩813.5K

-72.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ₱32.8K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-79.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₱22.7K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-71.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,558 ₱161.1K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-91.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,037 ₱65.3K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-91.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

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 San Fernando, La Union: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San Fernando, La Union

$183 25.5%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 160% $294

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando, La Union

$169 23.6%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 261% $442

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando, La Union

$153 21.3%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 78.7% $121

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.2%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 37% $30

Eating Out

San Fernando, La Union

$75 10.4%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 146% $109

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando, La Union

$44 6.2%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 81.9% $36

Getting Around

San Fernando, La Union

$14 1.9%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 315% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $262 in San Fernando, La Union versus $901 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $477 – making San Fernando, La Union the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

13:13 1:13 PM

1 h ahead of San Fernando, La Union

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,003

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 19, 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 19, 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

San Fernando, La Union Seoul 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Fernando, La Union
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

San Fernando, La Union vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,079 per month in San Fernando, La Union and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, La Union, 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 $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union and $68.0 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 $719 in San Fernando, La Union and $1,794 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 150%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Fernando, La Union, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Seoul at $1,794. In San Fernando, La Union it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Fernando, La Union – 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 San Fernando, La Union. 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.