Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Calapan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Calapan City: $710 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Calapan City
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Calapan City Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Calapan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Calapan 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 Calapan City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $710 in Calapan City, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Calapan City $710

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,088 in Calapan City, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Calapan City $1,088

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,467 in Calapan City, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Calapan City $1,467

Seoul costs about 153% more than Calapan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.01 ₱252

119.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$16.85 ₱1,061

305.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.83 ₱178

166.43%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.25 ₱142

88.00%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.61 ₱38.53

167.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.30 ₱19.15

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.13 ₱71.0

222.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.90 ₱120

223.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.69 ₱107

18.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.15 ₱72.5

172.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.97 ₱61.1

345.36%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.92 ₱121

88.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$4.78 ₱301

273.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.23 ₱267

147.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.03 ₱442

267.00%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.34 ₱147

227.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.60 ₱101

111.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.36 ₱149

146.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.14 ₱71.6

462.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.91 ₱120

96.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.95 ₱123

30.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.99 ₱62.3

186.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.55 ₱34.62

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.99 ₱188

12.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.38 ₱464

150.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.95 ₱59.6

152.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.95 ₱123

72.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.24 ₱15.06

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$11.13 ₱701

314.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.79 ₱49.46

341.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.20 ₱12.48

215.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.94 ₱122

356.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.05 ₱66.3

43.81%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$23.0K ₱1.4M

27.35%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

50.34%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$121 ₱7,642

79.22%

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

$24.23 ₱1,525

-12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$32.71 ₱2,059

77.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$5.12 ₱323

214.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.07 ₱319

123.08%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$125 ₱7,875

1457.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$7,935 ₱499.6K

188.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$32.35 ₱2,037

76.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.22 ₱1,210

73.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$69.8 ₱4,395

2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$57.0 ₱3,589

44.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$232 ₱14.6K

288.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$156 ₱9,819

292.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$497 ₱31.3K

407.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$336 ₱21.1K

277.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,385 ₱150.2K

1133.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,002 ₱63.1K

1088.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$118 ₱7,460

2980.58%

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 Calapan City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Calapan City

$156 22% 74.5% $456

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Calapan City

$177 24.9% 63% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Calapan City

$160 22.5% 41.7% $114

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Calapan City

$81 11.4% 56.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Calapan City

$80 11.3% 27% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Calapan City

$43 6% 46.9% $38

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Calapan City

$14 2% 75.8% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $232 in Calapan City. 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 2981% 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 Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $177 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Calapan City

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

11:02 11:02 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

145,786

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Calapan City 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Calapan 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 Calapan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 153%, 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 $1,065 in Calapan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calapan City, 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 Calapan City. 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 $710 in Calapan City. That's a gap of about 153%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calapan City, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Calapan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calapan City – 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 Calapan City. 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.