Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Makati: $1,257 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Makati

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $1,257 in Makati.

Seoul $1,822
Makati $1,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $2,052 in Makati.

Seoul $2,847
Makati $2,052

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $2,847 in Makati.

Seoul $3,872
Makati $2,847

Living in Seoul is roughly 45% more expensive than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Makati is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$6.56 ₱412

38.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$40.13 ₱2,524

67.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$4.75 ₱299

56.21%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$2.65 ₱166

53.96%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$1.08 ₱67.8

48.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$0.50 ₱31.56

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$2.44 ₱153

49.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$3.10 ₱195

91.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$1.83 ₱115

12.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$1.24 ₱77.9

148.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$1.01 ₱63.7

316.83%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$2.37 ₱149

50.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$7.35 ₱462

144.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$4.91 ₱309

116.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$6.81 ₱429

288.25%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$4.09 ₱257

81.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$2.00 ₱126

76.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$3.27 ₱206

79.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$2.29 ₱144

178.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$3.59 ₱226

4.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$3.45 ₱217

-27.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$1.07 ₱67.2

172.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$1.11 ₱69.9

3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$2.66 ₱167

23.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$8.01 ₱504

130.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

$1.35 ₱84.7

68.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

$1.98 ₱125

65.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$0.99 ₱62.0

15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$57.4 ₱3,609

-20.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$0.66 ₱41.50

427.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$0.23 ₱14.50

160.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$1.88 ₱118

362.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.26 ₱79.2

19.05%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

35.61%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$19.8K ₱1.2M

42.35%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$155 ₱9,752

34.69%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$15.90 ₱1,000

120.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$32.67 ₱2,055

-35.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$55.4 ₱3,482

3.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$14.51 ₱913

9.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$6.98 ₱439

62.32%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$783 ₱49.2K

143.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$7,340 ₱461.6K

206.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$59.6 ₱3,748

-1.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$37.48 ₱2,357

-14.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$82.5 ₱5,185

-14.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$102 ₱6,400

-18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$828 ₱52.1K

6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$416 ₱26.2K

49.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,318 ₱145.8K

7.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,067 ₱67.1K

19.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$6,082 ₱382.5K

390.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$3,765 ₱236.8K

214.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$616 ₱38.7K

492.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

7.5

-45.60%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Makati

$416 33.8% 33.2% $207

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Makati

$230 18.7% 51.9% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Makati

$204 16.5% 23.2% $62

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Makati

$123 10% 32.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Makati

$127 10.3% 15.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Makati

$69 5.6% 13.3% $11

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Makati

$63 5.1% 11.8% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $828 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 493% 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: $67.0 in Seoul vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $230 per month, with Makati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

19:09 7:09 PM

18:09 6:09 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

582,602

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,505 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.47 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Seoul
Makati

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 Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 493% 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: $885 in Seoul versus $828 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,822 per month in Seoul versus $1,257 in Makati – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Makati runs roughly 26% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,257 in Makati versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Makati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,257 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makati hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Makati 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 Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.