Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Cabanatuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $618 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
Learn more

Cabanatuan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Cabanatuan

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $618 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Cabanatuan $618

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $957 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Cabanatuan $957

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,296 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Cabanatuan $1,296

Seoul costs about 190% more than Cabanatuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Cabanatuan is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.09 ₱258

115.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$17.04 ₱1,073

301.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.76 ₱174

173.19%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.76 ₱111

140.34%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.60 ₱38.01

171.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.31 ₱19.25

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.01 ₱63.8

260.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.63 ₱103

277.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.60 ₱101

25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.12 ₱70.3

179.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.93 ₱58.7

364.52%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.03 ₱128

77.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.21 ₱328

242.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.40 ₱214

207.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.85 ₱494

228.66%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.31 ₱146

231.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.11 ₱69.6

204.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.32 ₱146

150.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$0.78 ₱49.05

721.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.73 ₱109

116.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.73 ₱109

46.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.63 ₱39.49

350.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.49 ₱30.84

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.00 ₱189

11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.74 ₱551

111.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.97 ₱60.9

147.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.05 ₱129

64.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.27 ₱17.23

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.74 ₱802

261.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.76 ₱47.88

359.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.25 ₱15.83

152.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.88 ₱118

371.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$0.95 ₱59.8

58.95%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

36.54%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

46.08%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$53.5 ₱3,370

306.35%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$17.42 ₱1,097

101.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$21.66 ₱1,364

-1.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$11.25 ₱708

416.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$5.16 ₱325

212.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.31 ₱334

112.99%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$131 ₱8,249

1386.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$10.9K ₱688.0K

109.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$23.58 ₱1,484

141.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.50 ₱1,227

71.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$59.1 ₱3,723

20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$55.2 ₱3,474

49.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$248 ₱15.6K

262.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$173 ₱10.9K

254.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$479 ₱30.1K

427.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$317 ₱20.0K

299.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,513 ₱158.2K

1070.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,092 ₱68.7K

990.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$159 ₱10.0K

2193.40%

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 Cabanatuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Cabanatuan

$173 27.9% 71.8% $439

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Cabanatuan

$170 27.5% 64.3% $307

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Cabanatuan

$93 15% 66.2% $181

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Cabanatuan

$74 12% 59.7% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Cabanatuan

$71 11.5% 35.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Cabanatuan

$22 3.5% 72.9% $59

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Cabanatuan

$16 2.6% 72.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $248 in Cabanatuan. 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 2193% 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 $17.00 in Cabanatuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $170 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🕒 Local time

03:12 3:12 AM

02:12 2:12 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

302,231

💱 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 Cabanatuan 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Cabanatuan

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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $618 in Cabanatuan – roughly 190% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $927 in Cabanatuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $17.00 in Cabanatuan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $618 in Cabanatuan. That's a gap of about 190%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabanatuan, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Cabanatuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabanatuan – 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 Cabanatuan. 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.