Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Ormoc

For one person, living is cheaper in Ormoc: $671 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Ormoc
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Ormoc Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Ormoc

🇵🇭 Philippines

$671

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Ormoc

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $671 in Ormoc, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Ormoc $671

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,044 in Ormoc, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Ormoc $1,044

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,416 in Ormoc, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Ormoc $1,416

Seoul costs about 167% more than Ormoc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Ormoc is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.56 ₱287

92.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$11.63 ₱732

487.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.82 ₱303

56.43%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.15 ₱135

96.74%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.49 ₱30.91

232.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.33 ₱21.05

124.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.17 ₱73.9

211.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.91 ₱120

221.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.63 ₱103

23.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.05 ₱66.2

198.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.95 ₱60.0

354.74%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.70 ₱107

112.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.69 ₱359

213.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.20 ₱202

226.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.08 ₱446

264.41%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.34 ₱147

227.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.55 ₱97.6

118.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.32 ₱146

150.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.13 ₱71.3

467.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.89 ₱119

98.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.12 ₱133

19.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.95 ₱59.6

198.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.54 ₱33.87

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.52 ₱158

32.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.53 ₱537

116.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.99 ₱62.4

142.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.85 ₱116

82.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.27 ₱17.23

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$11.96 ₱753

285.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.76 ₱47.78

359.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.25 ₱15.56

152.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.96 ₱123

352.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.23 ₱77.3

22.76%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$23.9K ₱1.5M

22.25%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

38.31%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$66.2 ₱4,168

228.53%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.15 ₱954

132.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.66 ₱1,490

-10.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$34.33 ₱2,161

69.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.76 ₱300

238.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$6.14 ₱387

84.20%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$135 ₱8,468

1348.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$9,002 ₱566.8K

153.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$32.56 ₱2,050

75.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.67 ₱1,239

69.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$76.8 ₱4,838

-6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$55.0 ₱3,463

50.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$272 ₱17.1K

231.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$159 ₱9,991

285.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$203 ₱12.8K

1147.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$342 ₱21.5K

270.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,570 ₱161.8K

1044.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,076 ₱67.7K

1006.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

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 Ormoc: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Ormoc

$159 23.6% 74.1% $453

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Ormoc

$174 25.8% 63.6% $303

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Ormoc

$105 15.6% 61.7% $169

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Ormoc

$90 13.4% 51.2% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Ormoc

$83 12.3% 24.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Ormoc

$47 6.9% 42.2% $34

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Ormoc

$15 2.2% 73.7% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $272 in Ormoc. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $12.00 in Ormoc. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $174 – making Ormoc the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Ormoc

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

230,998

💱 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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Between locations

Seoul Ormoc 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Ormoc

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 Ormoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 167%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,007 in Ormoc. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ormoc, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $135 in Ormoc. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 175% 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 Ormoc, where all-in costs run around $671, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Ormoc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ormoc – 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 Ormoc. 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.