Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Pangasinan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pangasinan: $785 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Pangasinan
Learn more

Pangasinan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Pangasinan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Pangasinan

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

A single person spends $1,804 per month in Seoul vs $785 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Seoul $1,804
Pangasinan $785

A couple spends around $2,877 per month in Seoul vs $1,175 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Seoul $2,877
Pangasinan $1,175

A family of three spends $3,950 per month in Seoul vs $1,566 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Seoul $3,950
Pangasinan $1,566

Seoul costs about 130% more than Pangasinan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Pangasinan is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$1.20 ₱75.8

658.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$13.70 ₱862

386.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$4.00 ₱252

87.25%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$2.55 ₱160

64.31%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$1.08 ₱68.0

43.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$0.53 ₱33.62

49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$0.83 ₱52.3

338.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$3.15 ₱198

94.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$1.09 ₱68.9

93.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$0.83 ₱52.0

267.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$0.72 ₱45.61

484.72%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$2.49 ₱157

42.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$7.03 ₱442

156.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$4.81 ₱303

115.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$7.01 ₱441

277.60%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$2.36 ₱149

235.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$1.93 ₱122

78.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$3.14 ₱198

79.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$2.39 ₱151

168.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$3.57 ₱225

3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$3.45 ₱217

-26.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$1.11 ₱70.0

158.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$0.58 ₱36.27

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.69 ₱169

25.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$7.84 ₱494

138.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$1.32 ₱82.9

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$2.06 ₱130

60.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

$0.26 ₱16.50

334.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

$11.24 ₱708

315.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$0.66 ₱41.59

433.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$0.23 ₱14.50

178.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$1.93 ₱121

353.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$0.92 ₱58.1

57.61%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

39.87%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

46.26%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$153 ₱9,648

37.59%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$15.75 ₱992

124.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$31.66 ₱1,993

-35.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$32.52 ₱2,048

77.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$4.58 ₱288

253.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$7.07 ₱445

60.82%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$132 ₱8,330

1386.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$7,373 ₱464.2K

208.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$32.82 ₱2,066

75.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$19.88 ₱1,252

66.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$80.2 ₱5,049

-12.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$54.7 ₱3,444

54.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$265 ₱16.7K

231.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$169 ₱10.6K

269.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$519 ₱32.6K

384.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$360 ₱22.7K

257.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$2,394 ₱150.7K

1168.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$986 ₱62.1K

1104.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

7.5

-45.60%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Pangasinan

$169 21.5% 72.9% $455

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Pangasinan

$201 25.7% 58% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Pangasinan

$201 25.6% 24.8% $66

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Pangasinan

$69 8.8% 62.7% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Pangasinan

$84 10.8% 23.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Pangasinan

$47 5.9% 42% $34

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Pangasinan

$14 1.8% 75.7% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Seoul versus $265 in Pangasinan. 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $14.00 in Pangasinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $201 – making Pangasinan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Pangasinan

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

00:16 12:16 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

3,188,540

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Pangasinan 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Pangasinan

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 Pangasinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 130%, 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 $1,178 in Pangasinan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pangasinan, 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 $1,804 in Seoul and $785 in Pangasinan. That's a gap of about 130%.

Public transport costs about 316% less in Pangasinan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pangasinan, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Seoul at $1,804. In Pangasinan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pangasinan – 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 Pangasinan. 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.