Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Palawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Palawan: $792 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Palawan
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Palawan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Palawan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$792

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Palawan

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $792 in Palawan, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Palawan $792

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,230 in Palawan, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Palawan $1,230

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,668 in Palawan, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Palawan $1,668

Seoul costs about 127% more than Palawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Palawan is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.62 ₱228

143.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$19.14 ₱1,206

257.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$3.37 ₱212

123.74%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$2.63 ₱166

60.84%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$0.83 ₱52.5

96.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.39 ₱24.67

89.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$1.29 ₱81.4

182.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$2.16 ₱136

184.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.90 ₱120

5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$1.26 ₱79.4

148.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$1.01 ₱63.5

327.72%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$1.98 ₱125

82.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$7.83 ₱494

127.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.21 ₱265

148.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$7.78 ₱490

231.62%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.00 ₱189

155.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$1.56 ₱98.3

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$2.72 ₱172

113.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$1.62 ₱102

295.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$2.31 ₱146

62.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$2.59 ₱163

-1.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$1.06 ₱67.0

167.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$0.71 ₱44.88

56.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$2.78 ₱175

20.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$6.85 ₱431

169.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$1.20 ₱75.5

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$2.03 ₱128

66.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.28 ₱17.82

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

$11.29 ₱711

308.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$0.83 ₱52.5

320.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.24 ₱15.21

162.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.15 ₱136

312.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$1.10 ₱69.3

37.27%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$26.5K ₱1.7M

10.46%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$20.1K ₱1.3M

40.62%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$114 ₱7,187

90.66%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$32.54 ₱2,050

8.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$27.55 ₱1,735

-22.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$34.48 ₱2,172

68.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$4.36 ₱275

269.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.80 ₱365

95.00%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$150 ₱9,468

1195.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$4,228 ₱266.3K

440.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$45.09 ₱2,840

26.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$26.54 ₱1,672

25.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$74.9 ₱4,715

-4.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$53.6 ₱3,379

53.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$264 ₱16.7K

240.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$177 ₱11.1K

245.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$589 ₱37.1K

328.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$390 ₱24.6K

224.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$2,359 ₱148.6K

1147.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$994 ₱62.6K

1097.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.67

-38.83%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Palawan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Palawan

$177 22.4% 71.1% $435

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Palawan

$204 25.7% 57.3% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Palawan

$174 22% 36.4% $100

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Palawan

$86 10.9% 53% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Palawan

$90 11.4% 18.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Palawan

$46 5.8% 42.9% $35

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Palawan

$14 1.8% 74.8% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $264 in Palawan. 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 $19.00 in Palawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $204 – making Palawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Palawan

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

07:13 7:13 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

939,594

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Palawan 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Palawan

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 Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 127%, 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 $1,187 in Palawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palawan, 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 $150 in Palawan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 134% 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 Palawan, where all-in costs run around $792, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Palawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palawan – 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 Palawan. 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.