Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Calbayog

For one person, living is cheaper in Calbayog: $729 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Calbayog
Learn more

Calbayog Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Calbayog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Calbayog

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $729 in Calbayog, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Calbayog $729

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,084 in Calbayog, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Calbayog $1,084

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,439 in Calbayog, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Calbayog $1,439

Seoul costs about 146% more than Calbayog, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Calbayog is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.00 ₱252

120.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$16.40 ₱1,032

316.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.44 ₱154

209.02%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.01 ₱126

110.45%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.57 ₱36.04

185.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.29 ₱18.12

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.17 ₱73.8

211.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.66 ₱105

270.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.75 ₱110

14.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.24 ₱78.0

152.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.97 ₱61.1

345.36%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.17 ₱136

66.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$6.28 ₱395

183.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.09 ₱258

155.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.00 ₱441

268.57%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.39 ₱151

220.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.43 ₱89.9

136.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.57 ₱162

126.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.09 ₱68.4

488.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.92 ₱121

95.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.84 ₱116

38.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.86 ₱53.9

230.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.61 ₱38.63

81.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.22 ₱203

4.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$6.48 ₱408

185.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.84 ₱53.2

185.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.63 ₱102

106.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.27 ₱16.98

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.16 ₱640

353.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.76 ₱47.73

359.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.21 ₱13.29

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.68 ₱106

427.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.29 ₱81.2

17.05%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

42.22%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

45.68%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$126 ₱7,923

72.85%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.93 ₱940

135.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$24.78 ₱1,560

-14.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$32.41 ₱2,041

79.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$5.21 ₱328

209.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.92 ₱310

129.88%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$128 ₱8,067

1419.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,017 ₱504.8K

185.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$34.27 ₱2,157

66.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$17.45 ₱1,098

91.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$68.3 ₱4,302

4.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$55.4 ₱3,487

49.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$237 ₱14.9K

279.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$174 ₱11.0K

251.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$489 ₱30.8K

416.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$309 ₱19.5K

309.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,765 ₱174.1K

964.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,141 ₱71.8K

943.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$152 ₱9,542

2308.41%

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 Calbayog: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Calbayog

$174 23.9% 71.6% $438

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Calbayog

$180 24.6% 62.3% $297

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Calbayog

$166 22.7% 39.6% $108

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Calbayog

$76 10.4% 58.6% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Calbayog

$79 10.8% 28.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Calbayog

$42 5.8% 47.6% $38

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Calbayog

$13 1.8% 77.2% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $237 in Calbayog. 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 2308% 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 Calbayog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $180 – making Calbayog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Calbayog

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

14:00 2:00 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

183,851

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Calbayog 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Calbayog

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 Calbayog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 146%, 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 $1,094 in Calbayog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 165% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $16.00 in Calbayog. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calbayog, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Calbayog it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calbayog – 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 Calbayog. 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.