Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Marikina

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $704 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
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Marikina Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Marikina

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $704 in Marikina, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Marikina $704

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,094 in Marikina, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Marikina $1,094

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,484 in Marikina, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Marikina $1,484

Seoul costs about 155% more than Marikina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Marikina is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.07 ₱257

116.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$32.37 ₱2,038

111.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$3.17 ₱199

137.85%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.29 ₱144

84.72%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.55 ₱34.81

196.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.33 ₱20.92

124.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.01 ₱63.7

260.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.36 ₱149

160.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.85 ₱117

8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.23 ₱77.7

154.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.06 ₱66.5

307.55%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.08 ₱131

73.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$7.39 ₱466

141.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.20 ₱264

148.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.78 ₱427

280.53%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.46 ₱155

211.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.03 ₱128

66.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.33 ₱146

149.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$2.30 ₱145

178.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.38 ₱150

57.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$3.48 ₱219

-27.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.10 ₱69.5

158.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.70 ₱44.21

58.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.93 ₱184

14.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.73 ₱550

111.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.98 ₱62.0

144.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.05 ₱129

64.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.50 ₱31.34

128.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.73 ₱46.04

378.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.53

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.94 ₱122

356.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.24 ₱78.3

21.77%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

35.02%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

45.17%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$139 ₱8,744

56.62%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$16.19 ₱1,019

117.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$28.10 ₱1,769

-24.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$36.73 ₱2,312

58.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$7.11 ₱448

59.07%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$131 ₱8,250

1386.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$7,456 ₱469.4K

206.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$59.9 ₱3,774

-4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$28.37 ₱1,786

17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$75.4 ₱4,745

-5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$54.7 ₱3,442

50.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$180 ₱11.3K

400.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$79.2 ₱4,986

672.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$322 ₱20.3K

683.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$145 ₱9,110

774.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$1,134 ₱71.4K

2494.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$481 ₱30.3K

2376.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$387 ₱24.3K

844.13%

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 Marikina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Marikina

$79 11.3% 87.1% $533

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Marikina

$206 29.2% 56.9% $271

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Marikina

$183 26% 33.1% $91

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Marikina

$83 11.8% 54.9% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Marikina

$98 14% 10.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Marikina

$51 7.2% 36.8% $30

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Marikina

$3.9 * 0.6% 93.2% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $180 in Marikina. 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 844% 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 $32.00 in Marikina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $206 – making Marikina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Marikina

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

06:31 6:31 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

456,059

💱 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 Marikina 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Marikina

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 Marikina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $704 in Marikina – roughly 155% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,056 in Marikina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marikina, 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 $704 in Marikina. That's a gap of about 155%.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $131 in Marikina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Marikina, where all-in costs run around $704, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Marikina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Marikina – 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 Marikina. 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.