Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Alabang

For one person, living is cheaper in Alabang: $740 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Alabang
Learn more

Alabang Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Alabang

🇵🇭 Philippines

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Alabang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seoul and in Alabang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $740 in Alabang, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Alabang $740

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,123 in Alabang, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Alabang $1,123

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,506 in Alabang, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Alabang $1,506

Seoul costs about 143% more than Alabang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.02 ₱253

118.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$19.41 ₱1,222

252.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.85 ₱179

164.56%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.41 ₱152

75.52%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.74 ₱46.70

120.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.31 ₱19.42

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.99 ₱62.3

267.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.95 ₱123

215.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.63 ₱102

23.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.16 ₱73.1

169.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.90 ₱56.6

380.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.76 ₱111

105.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.21 ₱328

242.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.51 ₱221

197.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.90 ₱435

273.91%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.22 ₱140

245.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.38 ₱86.6

144.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.30 ₱145

152.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.03 ₱65.2

522.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.68 ₱106

123.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.71 ₱108

48.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.67 ₱42.07

323.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.50 ₱31.47

122.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.82 ₱177

18.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.36 ₱463

151.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.98 ₱62.0

144.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.75 ₱110

92.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.27 ₱17.25

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.43 ₱783

270.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.84 ₱52.9

315.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.21 ₱13.18

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.89 ₱119

368.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.20 ₱75.5

25.83%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

35.71%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

50.39%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$143 ₱8,974

52.60%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.41 ₱907

143.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.56 ₱1,484

-9.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$34.52 ₱2,174

68.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.53 ₱285

255.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.33 ₱336

112.20%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$74.1 ₱4,664

2529.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$2,528 ₱159.1K

804.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$28.82 ₱1,815

97.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.68 ₱1,239

69.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$72.1 ₱4,536

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$56.4 ₱3,548

46.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$222 ₱14.0K

305.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$170 ₱10.7K

260.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$513 ₱32.3K

392.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$356 ₱22.4K

255.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,233 ₱140.6K

1217.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$903 ₱56.9K

1218.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.75

-39.56%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alabang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Alabang

$170 23% 72.2% $442

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Alabang

$166 22.5% 65.1% $310

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Alabang

$181 24.4% 34.1% $93

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Alabang

$83 11.2% 55% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Alabang

$80 10.8% 27.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Alabang

$45 6.1% 44% $35

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Alabang

$15 2.1% 73.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $222 in Alabang. 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $19.00 in Alabang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $166 – making Alabang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Alabang

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

03:52 3:52 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

71,075

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Alabang 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Alabang

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

Seoul vs Alabang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 143%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,109 in Alabang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 187% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $19.00 in Alabang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Alabang, where all-in costs run around $740, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Alabang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alabang – 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 Alabang. 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.