Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Las Pinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Pinas: $733 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
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Las Pinas
Learn more

Las Pinas Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Las Pinas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Las Pinas

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $733 in Las Pinas, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Las Pinas $733

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,142 in Las Pinas, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Las Pinas $1,142

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,551 in Las Pinas, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Las Pinas $1,551

Seoul costs about 145% more than Las Pinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Las Pinas is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.04 ₱254

117.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$23.49 ₱1,479

191.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.74 ₱173

175.18%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.84 ₱116

129.89%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.12 ₱70.7

45.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.43 ₱27.38

72.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.17 ₱73.7

211.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.42 ₱153

154.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.68 ₱106

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.13 ₱70.8

176.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.97 ₱61.3

345.36%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.02 ₱127

78.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$4.98 ₱314

258.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.45 ₱217

202.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.91 ₱435

273.37%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.20 ₱138

248.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.59 ₱100

112.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.44 ₱153

138.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.06 ₱67.0

504.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.76 ₱111

113.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.71 ₱107

48.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.65 ₱41.02

336.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.49 ₱30.83

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.00 ₱189

11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$9.39 ₱591

96.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.93 ₱58.3

158.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.06 ₱130

63.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.20 ₱12.59

470.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.31 ₱775

274.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.80 ₱50.2

336.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.51

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.87 ₱118

373.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.22 ₱76.6

23.77%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

38.74%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

45.42%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$124 ₱7,809

75.38%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.80 ₱932

137.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$24.00 ₱1,511

-11.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$32.08 ₱2,020

80.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$3.99 ₱251

303.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.10 ₱321

121.76%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$132 ₱8,336

1371.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,801 ₱554.1K

159.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$33.07 ₱2,082

72.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.83 ₱1,249

68.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$71.7 ₱4,516

-0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$56.7 ₱3,570

45.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$279 ₱17.6K

222.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$178 ₱11.2K

242.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$516 ₱32.5K

389.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$395 ₱24.9K

220.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,392 ₱150.6K

1130.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$987 ₱62.1K

1106.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$605 ₱38.1K

503.76%

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 Las Pinas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Las Pinas

$178 24.4% 70.8% $433

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Las Pinas

$173 23.6% 63.7% $304

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Las Pinas

$163 22.2% 40.6% $111

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Las Pinas

$80 10.9% 56.7% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Las Pinas

$82 11.1% 25.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Las Pinas

$42 5.8% 47.6% $38

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Las Pinas

$15 2.1% 73.7% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $279 in Las Pinas. 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 504% 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 $23.00 in Las Pinas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $173 – making Las Pinas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Las Pinas

🕒 Local time

05:54 5:54 AM

04:54 4:54 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

606,293

💱 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 = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Las Pinas 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Las Pinas

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 Las Pinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $733 in Las Pinas – roughly 145% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,099 in Las Pinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Las Pinas, 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 $68.0 in Seoul and $23.00 in Las Pinas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $733 in Las Pinas. That's a gap of about 145%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Las Pinas, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Las Pinas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Las Pinas – 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 Las Pinas. 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.