Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Iligan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $739 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Iligan City
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Iligan City Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Iligan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $739 in Iligan City, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Iligan City $739

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,126 in Iligan City, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Iligan City $1,126

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,514 in Iligan City, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Iligan City $1,514

Seoul costs about 143% more than Iligan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.99 ₱251

120.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$17.85 ₱1,124

283.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.74 ₱172

175.18%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.26 ₱142

87.17%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.67 ₱42.01

143.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.34 ₱21.15

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.13 ₱71.1

222.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.90 ₱120

223.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.05 ₱129

-1.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.16 ₱72.8

169.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.90 ₱56.7

380.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.93 ₱121

87.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.66 ₱357

215.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.21 ₱265

148.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.26 ₱457

255.37%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.42 ₱153

216.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.54 ₱97.2

119.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.34 ₱147

148.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.17 ₱73.7

447.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.01 ₱126

86.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.92 ₱121

32.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.92 ₱57.8

208.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.57 ₱35.82

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.97 ₱187

12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.55 ₱476

144.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.96 ₱60.5

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.01 ₱126

67.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.26 ₱16.49

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.63 ₱795

265.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.85 ₱53.5

310.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.21 ₱13.33

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.01 ₱127

340.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.17 ₱73.6

29.06%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

38.30%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$16.8K ₱1.1M

67.89%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$129 ₱8,095

69.17%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.31 ₱964

129.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$24.12 ₱1,519

-11.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$31.95 ₱2,011

81.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.61 ₱290

249.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.14 ₱324

120.04%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$131 ₱8,241

1387.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,881 ₱559.2K

157.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$33.30 ₱2,097

71.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$18.10 ₱1,139

84.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$70.2 ₱4,422

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$48.70 ₱3,066

69.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$111 ₱6,985

711.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$172 ₱10.8K

256.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$515 ₱32.4K

390.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$357 ₱22.5K

254.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,600 ₱163.7K

1031.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$875 ₱55.1K

1260.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$198 ₱12.5K

1744.83%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Iligan City

$172 23.2% 71.9% $440

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Iligan City

$184 24.9% 61.4% $293

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Iligan City

$168 22.7% 38.7% $106

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Iligan City

$81 10.9% 56.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Iligan City

$77 10.4% 30.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Iligan City

$42 5.7% 47.7% $38

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Iligan City

$16 2.1% 72.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $111 in Iligan City. 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 1745% 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 $18.00 in Iligan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $184 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Iligan City

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

11:01 11:01 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

342,618

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Iligan City 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $739 in Iligan City – roughly 143% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,108 in Iligan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 265% less in Iligan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $131 in Iligan City. 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 Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Iligan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iligan 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 Iligan 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.