Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Dasmarinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Dasmarinas: $496 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Dasmarinas
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Dasmarinas Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Dasmarinas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Dasmarinas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,804 in Seoul versus $496 in Dasmarinas.

Seoul $1,804
Dasmarinas $496

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,877 in Seoul versus $738 in Dasmarinas.

Seoul $2,877
Dasmarinas $738

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,950 in Seoul versus $980 in Dasmarinas.

Seoul $3,950
Dasmarinas $980

Living in Seoul is roughly 264% more expensive than in Dasmarinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Dasmarinas is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$4.08 ₱257

123.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$16.95 ₱1,067

293.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$2.71 ₱171

176.38%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$1.75 ₱110

139.43%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$0.57 ₱35.76

171.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$0.31 ₱19.30

154.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$0.96 ₱60.1

279.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$1.58 ₱99.4

288.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$1.39 ₱87.5

51.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$1.10 ₱69.5

177.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$0.66 ₱41.36

537.88%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$1.79 ₱113

97.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$4.94 ₱311

264.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$3.49 ₱219

196.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$4.72 ₱297

460.81%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$2.26 ₱143

250.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$1.61 ₱102

113.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$2.38 ₱150

136.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$1.07 ₱67.3

499.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$1.75 ₱110

112.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$1.72 ₱108

46.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$0.61 ₱38.39

370.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$0.52 ₱32.54

123.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.88 ₱181

17.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$8.59 ₱541

117.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$0.93 ₱58.5

145.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$1.99 ₱125

66.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$0.78 ₱48.96

351.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$0.25 ₱15.76

156.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$1.85 ₱117

373.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$1.11 ₱70.1

30.63%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

38.68%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

49.13%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$48.45 ₱3,050

335.21%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$17.55 ₱1,105

101.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$23.72 ₱1,494

-13.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$33.43 ₱2,105

72.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$5.30 ₱334

114.53%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$134 ₱8,415

1371.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$10.7K ₱674.0K

112.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$28.53 ₱1,796

101.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$19.55 ₱1,231

69.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$72.5 ₱4,561

-3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$56.4 ₱3,552

49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$46.95 ₱2,956

1229.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$353 ₱22.2K

920.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.4

-36.25%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Last update for Dasmarinas: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Dasmarinas

$47 9.5% 92.5% $577

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Dasmarinas

$160 32.3% 66.6% $319

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Dasmarinas

$90 18.1% 66.4% $177

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Dasmarinas

$73 14.8% 60.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Dasmarinas

$80 16.1% 27.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Dasmarinas

$44 8.9% 45.3% $36

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Dasmarinas

$2 * 0.4% 96.5% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

Seoul pays 920% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $17.00 in Dasmarinas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 vs $160 per month, with Dasmarinas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Dasmarinas

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

07:27 7:27 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

659,019

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Between locations

Seoul Dasmarinas 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Dasmarinas

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 Dasmarinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Dasmarinas differ by about 264% in total monthly costs ($1,804 vs $496 including rent). Dasmarinas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 920% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,967 in Seoul versus $134 in Dasmarinas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dasmarinas – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $67.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $496 in Dasmarinas versus $1,804 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dasmarinas but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Dasmarinas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Dasmarinas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dasmarinas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 264% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.