Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bago

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $696 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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 Bago
Learn more

Bago Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Bago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $696 in Bago.

Seoul $1,794
Bago $696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,085 in Bago.

Seoul $2,863
Bago $1,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,475 in Bago.

Seoul $3,931
Bago $1,475

Living in Seoul is roughly 158% more expensive than in Bago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Bago is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.77 ₱237

133.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$15.36 ₱967

345.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$3.13 ₱197

140.89%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.06 ₱130

105.34%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.71 ₱44.84

129.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.31 ₱19.26

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.06 ₱66.7

243.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.10 ₱132

192.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.45 ₱91.5

38.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.05 ₱65.8

198.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.89 ₱56.0

385.39%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.70 ₱107

112.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.64 ₱355

216.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.68 ₱294

123.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.51 ₱473

243.54%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.68 ₱169

185.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.72 ₱109

96.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.58 ₱163

125.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.29 ₱81.4

396.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.72 ₱109

118.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.86 ₱117

36.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.01 ₱63.3

181.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.50 ₱31.69

122.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.30 ₱207

1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.16 ₱451

158.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.90 ₱56.4

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.87 ₱117

80.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.21 ₱13.43

442.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.85 ₱683

324.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.66 ₱41.31

428.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.56

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.93 ₱121

359.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.30 ₱81.5

16.15%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$24.5K ₱1.5M

19.55%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

50.24%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$109 ₱6,893

98.68%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$13.03 ₱821

169.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$26.14 ₱1,646

-18.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$29.61 ₱1,864

96.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$5.30 ₱333

203.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.97 ₱313

127.57%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$130 ₱8,157

1403.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,189 ₱515.6K

179.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$36.58 ₱2,303

55.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$21.81 ₱1,373

53.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$76.6 ₱4,823

-6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$63.2 ₱3,977

30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$294 ₱18.5K

205.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$147 ₱9,268

315.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$455 ₱28.6K

455.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$347 ₱21.9K

264.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,607 ₱164.2K

1028.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$876 ₱55.1K

1259.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

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 Bago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Bago

$147 21.2% 75.9% $465

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Bago

$180 25.9% 62.2% $297

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Bago

$149 21.4% 45.7% $125

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Bago

$78 11.2% 57.6% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Bago

$89 12.8% 18.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Bago

$40 5.7% 51% $41

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Bago

$14 1.9% 76.4% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $294 in Bago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Seoul vs $15.00 in Bago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $180 per month, with Bago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Bago

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

08:00 8:00 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

191,210

💱 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 Bago 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Bago

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 Bago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 158% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,692 in Seoul and $1,044 in Bago to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $901 in Seoul versus $294 in Bago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $130 in Bago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 165% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $696 in Bago versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Bago 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 Bago 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 Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.