Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Cauayan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cauayan City: $749 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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 Cauayan City
Learn more

Cauayan City Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Cauayan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$749

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $749 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Cauayan City $749

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,083 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Cauayan City $1,083

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,418 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Cauayan City $1,418

Seoul costs about 140% more than Cauayan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Cauayan City is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.97 ₱250

121.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$17.01 ₱1,071

301.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$2.78 ₱175

171.22%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$1.84 ₱116

129.89%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$0.56 ₱35.29

191.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.31 ₱19.43

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$1.02 ₱64.2

256.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$1.55 ₱97.6

296.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.61 ₱101

24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$1.16 ₱73.0

169.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$1.04 ₱65.3

315.38%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$2.01 ₱127

79.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$4.99 ₱314

257.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.50 ₱221

198.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$7.91 ₱499

226.17%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.24 ₱141

241.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$1.61 ₱101

109.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$2.36 ₱149

146.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$1.02 ₱64.5

528.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$1.67 ₱105

124.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$1.76 ₱111

44.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$0.66 ₱41.27

330.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$0.53 ₱33.45

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$3.01 ₱190

11.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$8.72 ₱549

112.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$0.91 ₱57.1

163.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$2.06 ₱130

63.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.25 ₱15.50

356.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

$11.80 ₱743

290.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$0.79 ₱49.70

341.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.23 ₱14.44

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.96 ₱123

352.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$0.95 ₱59.6

58.95%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

36.39%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

48.54%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$142 ₱8,913

53.72%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$10.52 ₱663

234.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$22.89 ₱1,442

-6.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$36.28 ₱2,285

60.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$4.48 ₱282

259.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.31 ₱334

112.99%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$133 ₱8,366

1366.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$10.7K ₱671.5K

114.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$29.37 ₱1,850

94.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$19.82 ₱1,249

68.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$56.1 ₱3,534

27.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$55.1 ₱3,468

49.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$271 ₱17.1K

231.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$191 ₱12.1K

219.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$587 ₱37.0K

330.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$302 ₱19.0K

319.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$2,173 ₱136.9K

1254.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,075 ₱67.7K

1006.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

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 Cauayan City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Cauayan City

$191 25.6% 68.7% $420

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Cauayan City

$175 23.4% 63.3% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Cauayan City

$175 23.4% 36.2% $99

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Cauayan City

$74 9.9% 59.8% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Cauayan City

$72 9.6% 34.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Cauayan City

$47 6.3% 41.9% $34

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Cauayan City

$15 2% 74.3% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $271 in Cauayan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $17.00 in Cauayan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $175 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Cauayan City

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

03:08 3:08 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,616

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Cauayan City 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $749 in Cauayan City – roughly 140% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,124 in Cauayan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $133 in Cauayan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 172% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cauayan City, where all-in costs run around $749, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Cauayan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cauayan 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 Cauayan 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.