Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Binangonan

For one person, living is cheaper in Binangonan: $727 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Binangonan
Learn more

Binangonan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Binangonan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Binangonan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $727 in Binangonan.

Seoul $1,794
Binangonan $727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,097 in Binangonan.

Seoul $2,863
Binangonan $1,097

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,467 in Binangonan.

Seoul $3,931
Binangonan $1,467

Living in Seoul is roughly 147% more expensive than in Binangonan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Binangonan is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.86 ₱243

127.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$16.81 ₱1,058

306.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.72 ₱171

177.21%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.79 ₱112

136.31%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.56 ₱35.08

191.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.27 ₱16.77

174.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.28 ₱80.8

184.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.56 ₱98.4

294.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.61 ₱101

24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.17 ₱73.4

167.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.84 ₱52.7

414.29%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.82 ₱114

98.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.17 ₱326

244.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.38 ₱213

209.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.68 ₱484

235.94%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.29 ₱144

234.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.38 ₱87.1

144.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.42 ₱153

140.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.06 ₱66.9

504.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.67 ₱105

124.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.76 ₱111

44.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.63 ₱39.65

350.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.50 ₱31.28

122.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.93 ₱184

14.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.48 ₱471

147.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.92 ₱57.8

160.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.76 ₱111

91.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.24 ₱14.97

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$11.27 ₱710

309.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.82 ₱51.6

325.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.21 ₱13.16

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.87 ₱118

373.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.19 ₱75.1

26.89%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

35.24%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

51.26%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$143 ₱8,977

52.55%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.37 ₱905

144.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.13 ₱1,457

-7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$31.20 ₱1,964

86.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.75 ₱299

238.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.08 ₱320

122.64%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$73.3 ₱4,613

2558.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$2,528 ₱159.2K

804.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$29.00 ₱1,826

96.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.80 ₱1,247

68.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$70.7 ₱4,449

1.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$55.7 ₱3,508

48.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$266 ₱16.8K

238.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$171 ₱10.7K

258.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$515 ₱32.4K

390.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$354 ₱22.3K

257.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,360 ₱148.6K

1146.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,045 ₱65.8K

1039.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$420 ₱26.4K

769.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-41.71%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Binangonan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Binangonan

$171 23.5% 72.1% $441

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Binangonan

$169 23.2% 64.6% $308

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Binangonan

$180 24.8% 34.3% $94

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Binangonan

$73 10.1% 60.1% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Binangonan

$79 10.9% 28.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Binangonan

$41 5.7% 48.7% $39

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Binangonan

$14 1.9% 75.4% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $266 in Binangonan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 769% 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 Binangonan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $169 per month, with Binangonan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Binangonan

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

05:37 5:37 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

313,631

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Binangonan 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Binangonan

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 Binangonan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binangonan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 769% 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 $266 in Binangonan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $73.3 in Binangonan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 183% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Binangonan versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Binangonan but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Binangonan 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 Binangonan 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 Binangonan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.