Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Laoag City

For one person, living is cheaper in Laoag City: $743 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Laoag City
Learn more

Laoag City Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Laoag City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$743

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $743 in Laoag City, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Laoag City $743

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,112 in Laoag City, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Laoag City $1,112

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,480 in Laoag City, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Laoag City $1,480

Seoul costs about 141% more than Laoag City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.41 ₱215

158.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$16.52 ₱1,041

313.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$2.94 ₱185

156.46%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$2.54 ₱160

66.54%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$0.67 ₱42.13

143.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.33 ₱20.53

124.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$1.00 ₱63.3

264.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$1.85 ₱117

232.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.63 ₱103

23.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$1.17 ₱73.8

167.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$0.92 ₱58.1

369.57%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$1.95 ₱123

85.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$5.25 ₱331

239.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.30 ₱271

143.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$7.24 ₱456

256.35%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.42 ₱152

216.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$1.63 ₱103

107.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$2.44 ₱154

138.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$1.19 ₱74.7

438.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$1.94 ₱122

93.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$1.88 ₱119

35.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$1.01 ₱63.4

181.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$0.54 ₱33.75

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$2.89 ₱182

15.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$7.37 ₱464

150.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$0.94 ₱59.5

155.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$1.94 ₱122

73.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.26 ₱16.39

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

$11.99 ₱756

284.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$0.73 ₱45.78

378.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.24 ₱15.15

162.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.19 ₱138

304.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$1.03 ₱64.6

46.60%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

35.24%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

48.25%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$136 ₱8,546

60.33%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$14.48 ₱912

142.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$24.79 ₱1,562

-14.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$32.51 ₱2,048

78.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$5.10 ₱321

215.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.03 ₱317

124.85%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$133 ₱8,389

1362.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$8,190 ₱515.9K

179.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$33.49 ₱2,109

70.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$19.72 ₱1,242

69.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$71.2 ₱4,484

0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$55.3 ₱3,485

49.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$270 ₱17.0K

234.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$171 ₱10.8K

257.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$513 ₱32.3K

392.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$330 ₱20.8K

284.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$2,434 ₱153.3K

1108.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,087 ₱68.4K

995.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$162 ₱10.2K

2155.43%

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 Laoag City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Laoag City

$171 23% 72% $440

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Laoag City

$179 24.2% 62.4% $297

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Laoag City

$175 23.5% 36.1% $99

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Laoag City

$79 10.7% 56.8% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Laoag City

$81 10.9% 26.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Laoag City

$43 5.7% 47.2% $38

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Laoag City

$15 2% 73.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $270 in Laoag 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 2155% 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 Laoag City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $179 – making Laoag City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Laoag City

🕒 Local time

04:17 4:17 AM

03:17 3:17 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

112,117

💱 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 Laoag City 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Seoul costs about 141% more than Laoag City, 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 $1,115 in Laoag City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Laoag City, 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 $743 in Laoag City. That's a gap of about 141%.

Public transport costs about 285% less in Laoag City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $743, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Laoag 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 Laoag 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.