Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bogo City

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogo City: $735 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Bogo City
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Bogo City Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Bogo City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Bogo City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $735 in Bogo City.

Seoul $1,794
Bogo City $735

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,158 in Bogo City.

Seoul $2,863
Bogo City $1,158

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,580 in Bogo City.

Seoul $3,931
Bogo City $1,580

Living in Seoul is roughly 144% more expensive than in Bogo City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.00 ₱189

193.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$23.52 ₱1,481

190.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.02 ₱253

87.56%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.51 ₱158

68.53%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.54 ₱97.2

5.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.54 ₱33.69

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.73 ₱109

110.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.20 ₱139

179.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.36 ₱85.9

47.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.16 ₱73.3

169.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.93 ₱58.4

364.52%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.97 ₱124

83.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$10.04 ₱632

77.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.12 ₱197

234.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$5.50 ₱346

369.09%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.32 ₱209

130.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.39 ₱87.7

143.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.32 ₱146

150.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.49 ₱93.6

330.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.37 ₱150

58.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.96 ₱124

29.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.19 ₱75.0

138.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.62 ₱39.11

79.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.88 ₱181

16.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$6.27 ₱395

194.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.28 ₱80.4

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.65 ₱104

104.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.28 ₱17.64

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$11.91 ₱750

287.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.77 ₱48.56

353.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.54

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.93 ₱122

359.07%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

39.13%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

45.25%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$119 ₱7,493

82.77%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.21 ₱895

147.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$27.87 ₱1,754

-23.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$27.57 ₱1,736

110.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.79 ₱302

236.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.68 ₱358

99.12%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$132 ₱8,316

1374.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,080 ₱508.7K

182.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$32.64 ₱2,055

74.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.38 ₱1,220

72.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$76.2 ₱4,797

-6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$58.1 ₱3,660

41.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$282 ₱17.8K

219.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$163 ₱10.2K

276.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$453 ₱28.5K

458.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$385 ₱24.2K

228.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,767 ₱174.2K

963.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$984 ₱62.0K

1109.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

7.2

-43.33%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bogo City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Bogo City

$163 22.1% 73.4% $449

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Bogo City

$186 25.3% 60.9% $291

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Bogo City

$161 21.9% 41.2% $113

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Bogo City

$87 11.9% 52.4% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Bogo City

$84 11.4% 23.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Bogo City

$39 5.3% 51.7% $42

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Bogo City

$15 2% 73.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $282 in Bogo City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Seoul vs $24.00 in Bogo City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $186 per month, with Bogo City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Bogo City

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

12:13 12:13 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

23,562

💱 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 Bogo City 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Bogo City

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 Bogo City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bogo City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,692 in Seoul and $1,103 in Bogo City 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 $282 in Bogo City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $735 in Bogo City – a 144% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bogo City runs roughly 287% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $735 in Bogo City versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bogo City but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Bogo City 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 Bogo City 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 Bogo City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.