Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Dagupan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dagupan: $743 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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 Dagupan
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Dagupan Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Dagupan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$743

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Dagupan

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $743 in Dagupan, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Dagupan $743

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,105 in Dagupan, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Dagupan $1,105

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

Seoul $3,931
Dagupan $1,467

Seoul costs about 142% more than Dagupan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.90 ₱183

203.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$11.98 ₱754

470.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.50 ₱284

67.56%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.47 ₱156

71.26%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.50 ₱31.41

226.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.23 ₱14.46

221.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.17 ₱73.6

211.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.73 ₱172

125.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.77 ₱112

13.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.27 ₱80.2

146.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.89 ₱55.8

385.39%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.84 ₱116

96.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.69 ₱358

213.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.83 ₱304

116.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.85 ₱431

276.64%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.97 ₱250

92.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.00 ₱126

69.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.67 ₱168

117.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.13 ₱71.2

467.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.88 ₱181

30.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$3.48 ₱219

-27.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.07 ₱67.2

165.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.57 ₱35.93

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.45 ₱155

36.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$5.53 ₱348

234.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.89 ₱56.2

169.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.87 ₱118

80.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.20 ₱12.59

470.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.66 ₱41.67

428.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.54

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.88 ₱118

371.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.14 ₱71.5

32.46%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

38.19%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

43.44%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$104 ₱6,560

108.77%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.84 ₱997

121.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$25.82 ₱1,626

-17.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$33.96 ₱2,138

70.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.13 ₱323

120.47%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$786 ₱49.5K

147.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$7,469 ₱470.3K

206.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$60.6 ₱3,814

-5.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$7.86 ₱495

324.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$80.6 ₱5,075

-11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$102 ₱6,411

-18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$194 ₱12.2K

363.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$159 ₱10.0K

284.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$364 ₱22.9K

593.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$271 ₱17.0K

367.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$479 ₱30.2K

2382.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$239 ₱15.0K

1430.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

7.5

-45.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dagupan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Dagupan

$159 21.4% 74% $453

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Dagupan

$197 26.6% 58.6% $280

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Dagupan

$146 19.6% 46.8% $128

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Dagupan

$81 10.9% 56.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Dagupan

$113 15.2% 2.6% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Dagupan

$44 6% 45.2% $36

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Dagupan

$2.6 * 0.4% 95.4% $55

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 $194 in Dagupan. 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 1430% 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 $12.00 in Dagupan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $197 – making Dagupan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Dagupan

🕒 Local time

00:39 12:39 AM

23:39 11:39 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

174,302

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Dagupan 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Dagupan

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 Dagupan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 142%, 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 $1,114 in Dagupan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dagupan, 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 $12.00 in Dagupan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 142% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dagupan, where all-in costs run around $743, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Dagupan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dagupan – 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 Dagupan. 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.