Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and El Nido

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
Learn more

El Nido Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in El Nido

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

A single person spends $1,804 per month in Seoul vs $739 in El Nido, rent included.

Seoul $1,804
El Nido $739

A couple spends around $2,877 per month in Seoul vs $1,148 in El Nido, rent included.

Seoul $2,877
El Nido $1,148

A family of three spends $3,950 per month in Seoul vs $1,557 in El Nido, rent included.

Seoul $3,950
El Nido $1,557

Seoul costs about 144% more than El Nido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$4.84 ₱305

88.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$28.13 ₱1,771

137.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$3.70 ₱233

102.43%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$2.25 ₱142

86.22%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$1.17 ₱73.8

32.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$0.32 ₱20.45

146.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$1.30 ₱81.8

180.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$1.99 ₱125

208.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$1.59 ₱100

32.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$1.00 ₱63.1

205.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$1.29 ₱81.4

226.36%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$1.95 ₱123

81.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$5.33 ₱336

238.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$3.98 ₱250

160.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$6.98 ₱439

279.23%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$2.25 ₱142

251.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$1.54 ₱97.1

123.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$2.26 ₱142

149.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$1.16 ₱72.8

452.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$1.95 ₱123

90.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$2.01 ₱127

25.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$0.92 ₱58.0

211.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$0.53 ₱33.65

118.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.35 ₱211

0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$7.24 ₱456

158.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$1.00 ₱62.9

128.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$1.87 ₱118

77.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

$0.24 ₱15.07

370.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

$10.28 ₱648

354.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$0.85 ₱53.8

314.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$0.20 ₱12.47

220.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$1.72 ₱108

409.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$1.31 ₱82.3

10.69%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

54.65%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

30.56%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$121 ₱7,638

73.82%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$14.38 ₱906

145.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$24.44 ₱1,539

-15.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$34.90 ₱2,197

65.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$3.99 ₱251

306.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$5.23 ₱329

117.40%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$124 ₱7,818

1484.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$6,869 ₱432.4K

231.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$33.86 ₱2,132

69.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$18.81 ₱1,185

75.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$66.9 ₱4,211

4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$49.95 ₱3,145

68.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$269 ₱17.0K

225.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$177 ₱11.2K

252.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$535 ₱33.7K

369.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$358 ₱22.5K

259.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$2,607 ₱164.1K

1064.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$900 ₱56.7K

1220.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$257 ₱16.2K

1301.96%

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 18, 2026

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

El Nido

$177 24% 71.6% $447

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

El Nido

$174 23.6% 63.7% $305

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

El Nido

$160 21.7% 40% $107

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

El Nido

$93 12.6% 49.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

El Nido

$76 10.3% 30.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

El Nido

$45 6.1% 43.6% $35

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

El Nido

$13 1.8% 77.4% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Seoul versus $269 in El Nido. 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 1302% 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $28.00 in El Nido. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $174 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 El Nido

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

03:33 3:33 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

50,494

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul El Nido 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
El Nido

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 El Nido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,804 in Seoul, $739 in El Nido – roughly 144% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,707 per month in Seoul and $1,109 in El Nido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 355% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Seoul and $124 in El Nido. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Seoul at $1,804. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Nido – 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 El Nido. 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.