Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Albay

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

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Albay

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 Albay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $740 in Albay.

Seoul $1,794
Albay $740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,099 in Albay.

Seoul $2,863
Albay $1,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,457 in Albay.

Seoul $3,931
Albay $1,457

Living in Seoul is roughly 142% more expensive than in Albay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Albay is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.98 ₱250

121.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$17.00 ₱1,070

302.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.72 ₱171

177.21%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.27 ₱143

86.34%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.62 ₱39.23

162.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.33 ₱21.01

124.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.17 ₱73.6

211.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.97 ₱124

212.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.85 ₱116

8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.04 ₱65.2

200.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.86 ₱54.0

402.33%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.99 ₱125

81.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$4.92 ₱310

262.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.17 ₱263

150.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.55 ₱413

293.89%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.71 ₱171

182.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.58 ₱99.3

113.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.12 ₱133

174.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.03 ₱65.0

522.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.78 ₱112

110.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.26 ₱142

12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.86 ₱53.9

230.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.49 ₱30.89

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.67 ₱168

25.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.49 ₱472

146.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.10 ₱69.2

118.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.88 ₱118

79.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.26 ₱16.50

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.06 ₱634

358.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.68 ₱42.90

413.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.19 ₱11.90

231.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.65 ₱104

436.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.38 ₱87.1

9.42%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$18.5K ₱1.2M

58.55%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

44.34%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$115 ₱7,229

89.46%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.40 ₱970

128.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$25.92 ₱1,632

-17.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$37.20 ₱2,342

56.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$5.27 ₱332

205.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.34 ₱336

111.80%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$133 ₱8,400

1359.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$7,069 ₱445.1K

223.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$28.70 ₱1,807

98.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.91 ₱1,254

67.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$72.9 ₱4,587

-1.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$50.2 ₱3,160

64.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$230 ₱14.5K

292.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$190 ₱11.9K

222.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$489 ₱30.8K

416.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$328 ₱20.6K

286.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,576 ₱162.2K

1041.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$959 ₱60.4K

1141.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$163 ₱10.2K

2142.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.79

-39.91%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Albay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Albay

$190 25.6% 69% $422

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Albay

$176 23.7% 63.2% $301

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Albay

$156 21.1% 43% $118

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Albay

$81 10.9% 56% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Albay

$77 10.4% 29.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Albay

$48 6.5% 40.7% $33

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Albay

$13 1.7% 77.8% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $230 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 2142% 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: $68.0 in Seoul vs $17.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $176 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Albay

🕒 Local time

11:37 11:37 AM

10:37 10:37 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

179,481

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Albay 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Albay

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 Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Albay differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($1,794 vs $740 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2142% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $901 in Seoul versus $230 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 172% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $740 in Albay versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Albay 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 Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.