Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Iloilo

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $693 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Iloilo
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Iloilo Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Iloilo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Iloilo

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $693 in Iloilo, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Iloilo $693

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $1,054 in Iloilo, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Iloilo $1,054

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $1,416 in Iloilo, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Iloilo $1,416

Seoul costs about 163% more than Iloilo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 36% above the global median, while Iloilo is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$2.83 ₱177

221.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$19.43 ₱1,219

244.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$3.15 ₱198

135.56%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$2.09 ₱131

95.22%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.65 ₱40.93

146.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.34 ₱21.39

135.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$1.06 ₱66.6

244.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$1.81 ₱113

228.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.69 ₱106

21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.20 ₱75.1

156.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$0.84 ₱52.9

401.19%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$2.06 ₱129

73.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$6.05 ₱379

196.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$4.04 ₱254

163.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$6.18 ₱388

327.83%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.32 ₱208

123.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$1.04 ₱65.3

239.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$3.06 ₱192

91.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$1.38 ₱86.4

361.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$2.39 ₱150

56.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.71 ₱170

-8.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$1.47 ₱92.4

98.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.81 ₱50.8

41.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$2.99 ₱188

10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$6.19 ₱388

198.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$1.10 ₱68.8

107.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$1.26 ₱78.8

160.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.24 ₱15.09

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$4.59 ₱288

890.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$0.82 ₱51.4

324.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.34 ₱21.10

76.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$2.36 ₱148

268.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.16 ₱72.9

29.31%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

33.72%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

44.32%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$64.5 ₱4,044

223.98%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$9.82 ₱616

257.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$27.65 ₱1,734

-23.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$9.76 ₱612

487.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$4.70 ₱295

141.06%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$31.77 ₱1,993

5887.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$23.50 ₱1,474

150.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$17.74 ₱1,113

81.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$55.5 ₱3,480

26.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$23.96 ₱1,503

244.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$308 ₱19.3K

186.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$246 ₱15.4K

153.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$1,184 ₱74.3K

110.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$436 ₱27.4K

192.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$3,633 ₱227.9K

721.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$1,055 ₱66.2K

1023.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$206 ₱12.9K

1671.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

7.33

-44.34%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Iloilo

$246 35.8% 60.5% $377

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Iloilo

$188 27.3% 60.8% $291

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Iloilo

$102 14.8% 61.6% $163

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Iloilo

$70 10.2% 61.8% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Iloilo

$54 7.9% 50.5% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Iloilo

$19 2.8% 76% $61

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Iloilo

$8.1 1.2% 85.7% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $308 in Iloilo. 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 1672% 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 $19.00 in Iloilo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $188 – making Iloilo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Iloilo

🕒 Local time

22:48 10:48 PM

21:48 9:48 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

457,626

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Iloilo 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Iloilo

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 Iloilo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 163%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $1,040 in Iloilo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iloilo, 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 $67.0 in Seoul and $19.00 in Iloilo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,822 in Seoul and $693 in Iloilo. That's a gap of about 163%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iloilo, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Iloilo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iloilo – 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 Iloilo. 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.