Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Imus

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $647 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Imus
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Imus Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Imus

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $647 in Imus, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Imus $647

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $965 in Imus, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Imus $965

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,283 in Imus, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Imus $1,283

Seoul costs about 177% more than Imus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Imus is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.96 ₱249

122.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$17.00 ₱1,070

302.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.85 ₱179

164.56%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.86 ₱117

127.42%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.56 ₱35.19

191.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.33 ₱20.78

124.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.02 ₱64.2

256.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.70 ₱107

261.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.68 ₱106

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.13 ₱71.0

176.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.03 ₱64.7

319.42%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.08 ₱131

73.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.18 ₱326

244.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.33 ₱210

213.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.85 ₱494

228.66%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.27 ₱143

237.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.60 ₱101

111.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.35 ₱148

147.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.78 ₱112

260.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.72 ₱108

118.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.73 ₱109

46.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.66 ₱41.73

330.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.49 ₱31.10

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.14 ₱198

6.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.99 ₱566

105.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.13 ₱71.4

112.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.98 ₱125

70.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.26 ₱16.16

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.94 ₱689

321.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.80 ₱50.2

336.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.50

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.92 ₱121

361.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.22 ₱76.7

23.77%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

35.10%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

44.81%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$123 ₱7,715

77.52%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.62 ₱983

125.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.34 ₱1,469

-8.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$27.55 ₱1,735

110.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$5.07 ₱319

217.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.29 ₱333

113.80%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$134 ₱8,428

1355.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,820 ₱555.3K

159.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$29.14 ₱1,834

95.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.72 ₱1,241

69.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$72.7 ₱4,574

-1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$54.8 ₱3,453

50.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$122 ₱7,660

640.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$99.7 ₱6,274

513.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$202 ₱12.7K

1151.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$166 ₱10.4K

664.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,138 ₱134.6K

1276.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,101 ₱69.3K

981.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$172 ₱10.8K

2028.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.75

-39.56%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Imus: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Imus

$100 15.4% 83.7% $512

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Imus

$180 27.9% 62.2% $297

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Imus

$161 24.9% 41.1% $112

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Imus

$75 11.5% 59.4% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Imus

$79 12.3% 27.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Imus

$38 5.9% 52.7% $43

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Imus

$14 2.2% 75.7% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $122 in Imus. 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 2028% 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 $17.00 in Imus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $180 – making Imus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Imus

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

496,794

💱 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 Imus 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Imus

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 Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $647 in Imus – roughly 177% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $971 in Imus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 164% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $17.00 in Imus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Imus, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Imus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Imus – 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 Imus. 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.