Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Boracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Boracay: $772 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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 Boracay
Learn more

Boracay Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Boracay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $772 in Boracay.

Seoul $1,794
Boracay $772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,313 in Boracay.

Seoul $2,863
Boracay $1,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,854 in Boracay.

Seoul $3,931
Boracay $1,854

Living in Seoul is roughly 133% more expensive than in Boracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Boracay is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$5.73 ₱361

53.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$19.15 ₱1,206

257.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.94 ₱374

26.94%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.37 ₱149

78.48%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.70 ₱43.78

132.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.23 ₱14.44

221.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.16 ₱73.0

213.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.92 ₱121

220.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.95 ₱186

-31.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$0.98 ₱61.9

219.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.89 ₱56.3

385.39%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.93 ₱122

87.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.13 ₱323

247.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.78 ₱301

118.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.28 ₱459

254.40%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.51 ₱158

205.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.59 ₱100

112.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.21 ₱139

162.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.08 ₱67.9

493.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.11 ₱133

77.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.02 ₱127

25.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.99 ₱62.5

186.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.57 ₱35.84

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.28 ₱144

46.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.76 ₱489

138.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.96 ₱60.5

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.75 ₱110

92.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.24 ₱15.09

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$11.23 ₱707

310.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.66 ₱41.52

428.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.18

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.94 ₱122

356.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.11 ₱69.7

36.04%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$23.7K ₱1.5M

23.71%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$22.0K ₱1.4M

28.05%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$111 ₱6,979

96.25%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.23 ₱896

147.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$33.84 ₱2,131

-37.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$29.95 ₱1,886

93.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$5.12 ₱323

214.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.26 ₱331

115.02%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$136 ₱8,591

1327.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,041 ₱506.2K

184.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$36.09 ₱2,272

58.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.21 ₱1,209

73.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$75.8 ₱4,773

-5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$59.1 ₱3,723

39.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$268 ₱16.9K

236.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$174 ₱10.9K

251.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$523 ₱32.9K

383.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$614 ₱38.6K

106.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,441 ₱153.7K

1105.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$979 ₱61.7K

1115.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$229 ₱14.4K

1493.27%

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 Boracay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Boracay

$174 22.5% 71.6% $438

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Boracay

$193 25% 59.5% $284

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Boracay

$159 20.6% 42% $115

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Boracay

$105 13.7% 42.6% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Boracay

$86 11.1% 22.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Boracay

$40 5.3% 49.8% $40

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Boracay

$14 1.8% 75.6% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $268 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 1493% 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 $19.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $193 per month, with Boracay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Boracay

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

04:27 4:27 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

12,296

💱 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 = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Boracay 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Boracay

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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Boracay differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($1,794 vs $772 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1493% 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 $268 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Boracay versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay 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 Boracay 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 Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.