Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Cainta

For one person, living is cheaper in Cainta: $718 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Cainta
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Cainta Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Cainta

🇵🇭 Philippines

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Cainta

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $718 in Cainta, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Cainta $718

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,128 in Cainta, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Cainta $1,128

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,538 in Cainta, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Cainta $1,538

Seoul costs about 150% more than Cainta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Cainta is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.89 ₱245

126.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$16.70 ₱1,052

309.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$2.92 ₱184

158.22%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$2.35 ₱148

80.00%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$1.17 ₱73.8

39.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.32 ₱20.45

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$1.16 ₱73.1

213.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$2.32 ₱146

165.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.63 ₱103

23.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$1.12 ₱70.4

179.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$0.96 ₱60.2

350.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$2.22 ₱140

62.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$5.14 ₱324

246.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.32 ₱209

214.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$7.07 ₱445

264.92%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.31 ₱146

231.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$1.55 ₱97.7

118.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$2.36 ₱148

146.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$1.08 ₱68.0

493.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$1.76 ₱111

113.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$1.78 ₱112

42.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$0.67 ₱42.23

323.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$0.49 ₱31.16

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$2.88 ₱182

16.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$8.96 ₱565

106.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$0.97 ₱60.9

147.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$2.00 ₱126

68.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.28 ₱17.91

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

$9.53 ₱600

383.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$0.73 ₱45.70

378.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.23 ₱14.55

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.96 ₱124

352.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$1.20 ₱75.5

25.83%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

38.57%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

43.68%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$123 ₱7,728

77.29%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$15.67 ₱987

124.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$23.22 ₱1,462

-8.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$35.53 ₱2,238

63.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$5.27 ₱332

205.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.16 ₱325

119.19%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$135 ₱8,523

1339.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$8,941 ₱563.2K

155.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$29.42 ₱1,853

93.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$19.70 ₱1,241

69.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$70.5 ₱4,440

1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$56.6 ₱3,566

45.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$276 ₱17.4K

226.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$161 ₱10.2K

279.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$492 ₱31.0K

413.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$407 ₱25.6K

211.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$2,684 ₱169.1K

996.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$853 ₱53.7K

1296.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$436 ₱27.5K

737.22%

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 Cainta: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Cainta

$161 22.4% 73.7% $451

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Cainta

$173 24.1% 63.7% $304

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Cainta

$162 22.5% 41% $112

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Cainta

$84 11.8% 54.1% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Cainta

$79 11% 27.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Cainta

$46 6.4% 43.2% $35

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Cainta

$13 1.8% 78.1% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $276 in Cainta. 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 737% 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 Cainta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $173 – making Cainta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Cainta

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

02:58 2:58 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

322,128

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Cainta 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Cainta

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 Cainta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,077 in Cainta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 384% less in Cainta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $135 in Cainta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cainta, where all-in costs run around $718, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Cainta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cainta – 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 Cainta. 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.