Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bacong

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacong: $647 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Bacong
Learn more

Bacong Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Bacong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Bacong

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $647 in Bacong, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Bacong $647

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $981 in Bacong, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Bacong $981

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,314 in Bacong, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Bacong $1,314

Seoul costs about 177% more than Bacong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Bacong is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.73 ₱172

222.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$18.84 ₱1,186

262.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$3.14 ₱198

140.13%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.02 ₱127

109.41%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.68 ₱42.84

139.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.33 ₱20.79

124.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.92 ₱57.9

295.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.72 ₱108

257.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.60 ₱101

25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.15 ₱72.5

172.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.88 ₱55.4

390.91%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.07 ₱130

74.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.95 ₱374

199.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.98 ₱251

162.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.30 ₱397

309.52%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.28 ₱206

133.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.08 ₱67.8

212.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.93 ₱184

98.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.43 ₱90.3

348.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.38 ₱150

57.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.72 ₱172

-6.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.39 ₱87.6

104.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.81 ₱51.3

37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.99 ₱188

12.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$6.46 ₱407

186.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.08 ₱67.8

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.31 ₱82.3

157.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.22 ₱14.13

418.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$9.96 ₱627

362.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.79 ₱49.61

341.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.36 ₱22.84

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.45 ₱155

261.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$0.99 ₱62.6

52.53%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

39.10%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

48.71%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$51.4 ₱3,233

323.52%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.28 ₱584

278.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$27.26 ₱1,716

-21.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$32.11 ₱2,022

80.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$3.98 ₱251

304.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.66 ₱294

142.70%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$32.30 ₱2,034

5929.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,576 ₱539.9K

166.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$33.62 ₱2,117

69.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.41 ₱1,222

72.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$56.3 ₱3,543

27.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$23.62 ₱1,487

249.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$147 ₱9,270

511.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$191 ₱12.0K

220.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$587 ₱36.9K

330.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$305 ₱19.2K

315.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,384 ₱150.1K

1134.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,056 ₱66.5K

1027.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

7.33

-44.34%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bacong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Bacong

$191 29.5% 68.8% $421

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Bacong

$187 28.8% 60.9% $290

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Bacong

$88 13.6% 67.9% $186

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Bacong

$68 10.4% 63.2% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Bacong

$60 9.2% 45.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Bacong

$41 6.4% 48.6% $39

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Bacong

$13 2.1% 76.5% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $147 in Bacong. 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 Bacong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $187 – making Bacong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Bacong

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

41,207

💱 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 = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Bacong 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Bacong

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 Bacong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 177%, 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 $971 in Bacong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacong, 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 $68.0 in Seoul and $19.00 in Bacong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $647 in Bacong. That's a gap of about 177%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bacong, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Bacong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bacong – 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 Bacong. 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.