Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Pasay

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasay: $907 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Pasay
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Pasay Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Pasay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Pasay

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $907 in Pasay, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Pasay $907

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,237 in Pasay, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Pasay $1,237

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,567 in Pasay, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Pasay $1,567

Seoul costs about 98% more than Pasay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.40 ₱277

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$18.94 ₱1,193

260.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.84 ₱179

165.49%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.26 ₱142

87.17%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.59 ₱37.36

176.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.30 ₱19.20

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.16 ₱73.2

213.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.58 ₱99.3

289.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.71 ₱108

17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.13 ₱71.4

176.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.97 ₱61.4

345.36%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.96 ₱123

84.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.15 ₱324

246.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.13 ₱260

153.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.18 ₱452

259.33%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.24 ₱141

241.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.53 ₱96.4

120.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.31 ₱146

151.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.16 ₱73.2

452.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.37 ₱149

58.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$3.34 ₱211

-23.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.25 ₱78.7

127.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.87 ₱55.0

27.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.88 ₱181

16.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.68 ₱483

140.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.98 ₱61.7

144.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.77 ₱111

90.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.17 ₱10.43

570.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.77 ₱48.72

353.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.21 ₱13.20

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.87 ₱118

373.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.24 ₱78.1

21.77%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

36.04%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

46.61%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$139 ₱8,741

56.67%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.54 ₱916

141.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$24.75 ₱1,558

-13.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$47.70 ₱3,003

21.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.26 ₱331

115.02%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$71.9 ₱4,524

2610.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$2,541 ₱160.0K

799.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$35.39 ₱2,228

61.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.32 ₱1,217

72.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$71.6 ₱4,505

-0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$63.6 ₱4,004

29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$429 ₱27.0K

109.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$312 ₱19.7K

95.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$827 ₱52.1K

205.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$364 ₱22.9K

247.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$1,891 ₱119.0K

1456.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$575 ₱36.2K

1971.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$510 ₱32.1K

615.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-41.71%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pasay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Pasay

$313 34.5% 48.9% $299

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Pasay

$186 20.6% 60.9% $290

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Pasay

$178 19.7% 35% $96

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Pasay

$83 9.2% 54.6% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Pasay

$85 9.4% 22.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Pasay

$58 6.4% 27.9% $22

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Pasay

$2.5 * 0.3% 95.7% $55

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 $429 in Pasay. 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 616% 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 $19.00 in Pasay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $186 – making Pasay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Pasay

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

02:39 2:39 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

416,522

💱 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 = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Pasay 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Pasay

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 Pasay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $907 in Pasay – roughly 98% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,360 in Pasay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasay, 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 $68.0 in Seoul and $19.00 in Pasay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 156% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pasay, where all-in costs run around $907, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Pasay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pasay – 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 Pasay. 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.