Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Manado

For one person, living is cheaper in Manado: $557 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Manado
Learn more

Manado Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Manado

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Manado

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

A single person spends $1,804 per month in Seoul vs $557 in Manado, rent included.

Seoul $1,804
Manado $557

A couple spends around $2,877 per month in Seoul vs $881 in Manado, rent included.

Seoul $2,877
Manado $881

A family of three spends $3,950 per month in Seoul vs $1,206 in Manado, rent included.

Seoul $3,950
Manado $1,206

Seoul costs about 224% more than Manado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Manado is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$1.44 Rp 25.9K

531.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$16.91 Rp 304.4K

294.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$2.78 Rp 50.0K

169.42%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$1.75 Rp 31.6K

139.43%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$0.61 Rp 11.0K

154.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$0.25 Rp 4,526

216.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$3.42 Rp 61.6K

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$2.75 Rp 49.6K

123.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

52.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$1.10 Rp 19.8K

177.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

446.75%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$1.85 Rp 33.2K

91.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$16.47 Rp 296.4K

9.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

279.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$6.25 Rp 112.5K

323.52%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$2.29 Rp 41.2K

245.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

127.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

333.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

528.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

346.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$2.78 Rp 50.1K

-9.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

258.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$0.45 Rp 8,183

157.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.38 Rp 42.8K

41.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$20.83 Rp 374.9K

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$1.83 Rp 33.0K

24.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$3.02 Rp 54.4K

9.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

$0.30 Rp 5,363

276.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$0.52 Rp 9,385

576.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$0.34 Rp 6,183

88.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$2.68 Rp 48.2K

226.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

123.08%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$23.5K Rp 422.4M

26.40%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$31.5K Rp 566.9M

-10.48%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$52.9 Rp 951.8K

298.75%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$4.26 Rp 76.6K

730.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$14.10 Rp 253.8K

45.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$13.16 Rp 236.9K

338.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$8.53 Rp 153.5K

89.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$2.56 Rp 46.1K

344.14%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$126 Rp 2.3M

1465.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$4,771 Rp 85.9M

377.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$55.1 Rp 991.0K

4.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$20.35 Rp 366.3K

62.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$69.5 Rp 1.3M

0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

30.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$253 Rp 4.5M

247.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$81.6 Rp 1.5M

664.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$302 Rp 5.4M

732.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$169 Rp 3.0M

663.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$1,185 Rp 21.3M

2462.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$790 Rp 14.2M

1402.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$215 Rp 3.9M

1570.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-59.20%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Last update for Manado: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Manado

$82 14.7% 86.9% $542

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Manado

$221 39.7% 53.9% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Manado

$71 12.8% 73.3% $196

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Manado

$67 12% 63.9% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Manado

$94 16.9% 14.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Manado

$18 3.3% 77.3% $62

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Manado

$3.4 * 0.6% 94.1% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Seoul versus $253 in Manado. 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 1571% 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $17.00 in Manado. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $221 – making Manado the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇮🇩 Manado

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

423,257

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Manado 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Manado

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 Manado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 224%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,707 per month in Seoul and $836 in Manado. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manado, 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 $67.0 in Seoul and $17.00 in Manado. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 117% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Manado, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Seoul at $1,804. In Manado it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Manado – 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 Manado. 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.