Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Maasin City

For one person, living is cheaper in Maasin City: $755 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Maasin City
Learn more

Maasin City Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Maasin City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $755 in Maasin City.

Seoul $1,794
Maasin City $755

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,132 in Maasin City.

Seoul $2,863
Maasin City $1,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,508 in Maasin City.

Seoul $3,931
Maasin City $1,508

Living in Seoul is roughly 138% more expensive than in Maasin City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Maasin City is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.11 ₱196

182.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$23.45 ₱1,476

191.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$3.86 ₱243

95.34%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.57 ₱162

64.59%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.58 ₱99.6

3.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.49 ₱30.61

51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.72 ₱108

111.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.21 ₱139

178.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.96 ₱123

2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.18 ₱74.3

165.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.91 ₱57.3

374.73%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.86 ₱117

94.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$9.92 ₱625

79.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.41 ₱277

136.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.35 ₱463

251.02%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.62 ₱102

372.84%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$0.67 ₱41.93

404.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.58 ₱99.2

267.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.54 ₱97.2

316.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.34 ₱148

60.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.91 ₱120

32.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.20 ₱75.9

136.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.67 ₱42.21

65.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.02 ₱190

10.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$6.33 ₱398

192.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.23 ₱77.5

95.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.72 ₱108

95.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.24 ₱15.18

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.06 ₱760

282.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.74 ₱46.38

371.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.49

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.92 ₱121

361.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.37 ₱86.0

10.22%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

39.74%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

45.88%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$122 ₱7,695

77.97%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.04 ₱884

150.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$27.70 ₱1,744

-23.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$30.38 ₱1,913

91.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.24 ₱267

279.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.53 ₱348

104.52%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$135 ₱8,488

1344.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$7,885 ₱496.4K

189.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$32.99 ₱2,077

72.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.59 ₱1,233

70.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$76.0 ₱4,786

-5.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$56.9 ₱3,581

45.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$269 ₱17.0K

234.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$174 ₱11.0K

251.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$474 ₱29.8K

433.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$301 ₱19.0K

320.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,140 ₱134.7K

1274.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$977 ₱61.5K

1118.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$125 ₱7,886

2814.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

7.2

-43.33%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Maasin City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Maasin City

$174 23.1% 71.6% $438

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Maasin City

$188 25% 60.5% $288

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Maasin City

$164 21.7% 40.2% $110

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Maasin City

$89 11.7% 51.8% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Maasin City

$83 11.1% 24.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Maasin City

$41 5.5% 48.6% $39

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Maasin City

$15 2% 74% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $269 in Maasin City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 2814% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Seoul vs $23.00 in Maasin City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $188 per month, with Maasin City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Maasin City

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

85,560

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Maasin City 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Maasin City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2814% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $901 in Seoul versus $269 in Maasin City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maasin City – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $755 in Maasin City versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maasin City but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Maasin City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Maasin City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maasin City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.