Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Cavite

For one person, living is cheaper in Cavite: $572 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Cavite
Learn more

Cavite Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Cavite

🇵🇭 Philippines

$572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Cavite

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $572 in Cavite, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Cavite $572

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $890 in Cavite, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Cavite $890

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,209 in Cavite, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Cavite $1,209

Seoul costs about 214% more than Cavite, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Cavite is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.35 ₱148

274.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$16.09 ₱1,014

324.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$2.27 ₱143

232.16%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$1.83 ₱115

131.15%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$0.55 ₱34.89

196.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.34 ₱21.11

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$0.99 ₱62.3

267.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$1.57 ₱98.8

291.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.40 ₱88.2

43.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$1.13 ₱71.0

176.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$0.92 ₱58.0

369.57%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$1.93 ₱122

87.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$4.95 ₱312

260.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.47 ₱219

201.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$6.19 ₱390

316.80%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.16 ₱136

254.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$1.08 ₱67.9

212.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$2.33 ₱147

149.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$1.08 ₱68.1

493.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$1.75 ₱110

114.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$1.53 ₱96.4

66.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$0.54 ₱34.32

425.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$0.53 ₱33.39

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$2.10 ₱132

59.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$4.77 ₱300

287.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$0.93 ₱58.7

158.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$1.30 ₱82.1

159.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

$13.18 ₱830

249.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$0.66 ₱41.56

428.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.23 ₱14.46

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.96 ₱124

352.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$1.23 ₱77.4

22.76%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

37.73%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

48.49%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$89.5 ₱5,640

142.96%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$13.31 ₱838

164.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$23.15 ₱1,458

-8.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$48.23 ₱3,038

20.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.23 ₱330

116.25%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$132 ₱8,322

1374.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$10.7K ₱675.8K

113.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$28.73 ₱1,809

98.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$19.49 ₱1,228

71.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$72.2 ₱4,546

-0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$54.8 ₱3,452

50.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$133 ₱8,377

577.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$80.9 ₱5,094

656.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$239 ₱15.1K

955.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$190 ₱11.9K

567.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$227 ₱14.3K

1507.87%

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 Cavite: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Cavite

$81 14.2% 86.8% $531

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Cavite

$153 26.8% 67.9% $324

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Cavite

$126 22% 54% $148

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Cavite

$59 10.4% 67.8% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Cavite

$79 13.8% 28.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Cavite

$59 10.3% 27.3% $22

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Cavite

$15 * 2.6% 73.9% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $133 in Cavite. 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 1508% 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 Cavite. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $153 – making Cavite the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Cavite

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

03:24 3:24 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

100,674

💱 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 Cavite 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Cavite

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 Cavite: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 214%, 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 $857 in Cavite. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $572 in Cavite. That's a gap of about 214%.

Public transport costs about 250% less in Cavite. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cavite, where all-in costs run around $572, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Cavite it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cavite – 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 Cavite. 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.