Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Mambajao

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
Learn more

Mambajao Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Mambajao

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $508 in Mambajao, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Mambajao $508

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $817 in Mambajao, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Mambajao $817

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,126 in Mambajao, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Mambajao $1,126

Seoul costs about 254% more than Mambajao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Mambajao is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$1.36 ₱85.9

547.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$15.83 ₱997

331.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$3.40 ₱214

121.76%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.28 ₱144

85.53%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.38 ₱24.02

328.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.27 ₱16.81

174.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.03 ₱64.6

253.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.12 ₱70.6

449.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$0.90 ₱56.8

123.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$0.63 ₱39.56

396.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.66 ₱41.56

554.55%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.26 ₱79.5

186.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.90 ₱372

202.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.29 ₱270

143.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$5.50 ₱346

369.09%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.54 ₱160

201.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.63 ₱103

107.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.24 ₱141

159.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.13 ₱71.3

467.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.29 ₱81.3

190.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.06 ₱130

23.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.90 ₱56.8

215.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.55 ₱34.37

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.51 ₱158

33.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.42 ₱467

149.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.99 ₱62.0

142.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.13 ₱70.9

198.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.20 ₱12.47

470.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.71 ₱675

330.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.69 ₱43.54

405.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.21 ₱12.97

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.70 ₱107

421.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.28 ₱80.3

17.97%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.9K ₱1.4M

33.36%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

29.65%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$64.9 ₱4,083

235.42%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$16.36 ₱1,030

114.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$20.10 ₱1,266

5.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$27.72 ₱1,745

109.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.68 ₱295

244.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.95 ₱312

128.48%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$127 ₱7,995

1433.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,993 ₱566.2K

154.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$30.83 ₱1,941

85.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$22.01 ₱1,386

51.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$72.3 ₱4,553

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$63.1 ₱3,975

30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$101 ₱6,360

791.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$56.3 ₱3,542

987.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$237 ₱14.9K

964.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$158 ₱9,973

699.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,172 ₱136.7K

1254.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$990 ₱62.3K

1102.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$153 ₱9,616

2289.80%

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 Mambajao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Mambajao

$56 11.1% 90.8% $556

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Mambajao

$156 30.7% 67.3% $321

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Mambajao

$101 20% 63% $173

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Mambajao

$59 11.5% 68.2% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Mambajao

$85 16.7% 23% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Mambajao

$38 7.4% 53.4% $43

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Mambajao

$13 2.6% 76.9% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $101 in Mambajao. 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 2290% 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 $16.00 in Mambajao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $156 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

02:49 2:49 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

41,094

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Mambajao 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Mambajao

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 Mambajao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 254% more than Mambajao, 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 $761 in Mambajao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mambajao, 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 $508 in Mambajao. That's a gap of about 254%.

Public transport costs about 331% less in Mambajao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mambajao – 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 Mambajao. 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.