Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Island Garden City of Samal

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $747 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $747 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Island Garden City of Samal $747

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,102 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Island Garden City of Samal $1,102

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,457 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Island Garden City of Samal $1,457

Seoul costs about 140% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$1.22 ₱76.6

621.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$17.02 ₱1,072

301.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$4.07 ₱256

85.26%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$2.18 ₱137

94.04%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$1.04 ₱65.8

56.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.64 ₱40.35

15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$1.18 ₱74.5

208.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$1.98 ₱125

210.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$2.03 ₱128

-0.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$1.14 ₱71.5

174.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$0.88 ₱55.2

390.91%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$1.87 ₱118

93.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$6.26 ₱394

184.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.64 ₱292

125.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$9.10 ₱573

183.52%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.73 ₱172

180.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$1.12 ₱70.5

201.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$2.38 ₱150

144.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$1.14 ₱71.8

462.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$1.98 ₱125

89.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$3.41 ₱215

-25.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$1.21 ₱76.1

134.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$0.72 ₱45.49

54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$2.49 ₱157

34.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$7.76 ₱489

138.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$1.23 ₱77.6

95.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$1.68 ₱106

100.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.29 ₱18.10

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

$11.62 ₱732

296.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$0.83 ₱52.0

320.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.25 ₱15.83

152.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.92 ₱121

361.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$1.24 ₱78.0

21.77%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

38.06%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

49.50%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$98.4 ₱6,199

121.03%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$19.24 ₱1,212

82.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$31.01 ₱1,953

-31.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$29.89 ₱1,883

94.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$4.57 ₱288

252.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$4.87 ₱307

132.24%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$107 ₱6,732

1722.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$7,691 ₱484.5K

197.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$33.60 ₱2,116

69.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$19.67 ₱1,239

69.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$70.4 ₱4,435

1.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$62.4 ₱3,931

32.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$250 ₱15.7K

260.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$197 ₱12.4K

211.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$504 ₱31.8K

401.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$315 ₱19.8K

302.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$2,056 ₱129.5K

1331.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,083 ₱68.2K

999.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

8.31

-50.90%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Island Garden City of Samal

$197 26.3% 67.9% $415

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Island Garden City of Samal

$199 26.6% 58.3% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Island Garden City of Samal

$149 19.9% 45.7% $125

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$65 8.7% 64.8% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Island Garden City of Samal

$84 11.2% 23.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Island Garden City of Samal

$40 5.3% 50.9% $41

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$15 2% 74.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $250 in Island Garden City of Samal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $17.00 in Island Garden City of Samal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $199 – making Island Garden City of Samal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🕒 Local time

06:31 6:31 AM

05:31 5:31 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

116,771

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Island Garden City of Samal 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 140% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,121 in Island Garden City of Samal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $747 in Island Garden City of Samal. That's a gap of about 140%.

Public transport costs about 297% less in Island Garden City of Samal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Island Garden City of Samal, where all-in costs run around $747, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Island Garden City of Samal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Island Garden City of Samal – 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 Island Garden City of Samal. 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.