Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Bulacan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulacan: $638 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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 Bulacan
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Bulacan Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Bulacan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Bulacan

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $638 in Bulacan, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Bulacan $638

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $927 in Bulacan, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Bulacan $927

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,215 in Bulacan, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Bulacan $1,215

Seoul costs about 181% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Bulacan is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.00 ₱126

340.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$15.88 ₱1,000

330.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.71 ₱171

178.23%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.79 ₱112

136.31%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.44 ₱27.72

270.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.26 ₱16.39

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.93 ₱58.4

291.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.60 ₱101

284.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.61 ₱102

24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.16 ₱73.1

169.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.95 ₱60.1

354.74%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.79 ₱113

101.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$2.80 ₱176

536.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.45 ₱217

202.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.03 ₱380

327.86%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.06 ₱130

271.84%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.56 ₱98.2

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.99 ₱125

191.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.04 ₱65.4

516.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.61 ₱101

132.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.73 ₱109

46.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.62 ₱39.14

358.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.49 ₱31.07

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.04 ₱191

10.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$3.53 ₱222

423.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.89 ₱56.3

169.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.56 ₱98.1

116.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.19 ₱11.81

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$6.68 ₱421

590.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.69 ₱43.19

405.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.15 ₱9.67

320.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.87 ₱118

373.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.06 ₱66.7

42.45%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

35.04%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$16.4K ₱1.0M

72.18%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$112 ₱7,031

94.79%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$17.26 ₱1,087

103.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.39 ₱1,472

-8.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$37.17 ₱2,340

56.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$0.78 ₱49.15

1964.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.09 ₱320

122.20%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$96.7 ₱6,088

1914.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$941 ₱59.3K

2329.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$28.48 ₱1,793

100.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.39 ₱1,221

72.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$75.5 ₱4,756

-5.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$55.5 ₱3,493

48.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$237 ₱14.9K

279.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$146 ₱9,223

317.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$385 ₱24.2K

556.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$215 ₱13.5K

489.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$1,879 ₱118.3K

1465.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,458 ₱91.8K

716.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$290 ₱18.2K

1160.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.75

-39.56%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Bulacan

$146 23% 76.1% $465

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Bulacan

$147 23% 69.2% $330

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Bulacan

$152 23.9% 44.4% $122

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Bulacan

$56 8.8% 69.4% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Bulacan

$81 12.6% 26.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Bulacan

$47 7.4% 41.3% $33

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Bulacan

$8.9 1.4% 84.5% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $237 in Bulacan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1161% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $16.00 in Bulacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $147 – making Bulacan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Bulacan

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

3,700,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Bulacan 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Bulacan

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 Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 181% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $958 in Bulacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulacan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $638 in Bulacan. That's a gap of about 181%.

Public transport costs about 590% less in Bulacan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bulacan, where all-in costs run around $638, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Bulacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bulacan – 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 Bulacan. 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.