Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Puerto Galera

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Galera: $831 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Galera
Learn more

Puerto Galera Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Puerto Galera

🇵🇭 Philippines

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Puerto Galera

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $831 in Puerto Galera, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Puerto Galera $831

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,253 in Puerto Galera, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Puerto Galera $1,253

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,675 in Puerto Galera, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Puerto Galera $1,675

Seoul costs about 116% more than Puerto Galera, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Puerto Galera is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.30 ₱271

104.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$18.98 ₱1,195

260.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.76 ₱174

173.19%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.67 ₱168

58.43%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.73 ₱46.07

123.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.27 ₱16.92

174.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.46 ₱91.9

149.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.81 ₱177

118.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.74 ₱110

15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.14 ₱71.8

174.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.84 ₱53.0

414.29%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.76 ₱111

105.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$6.64 ₱418

168.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.12 ₱259

153.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.92 ₱435

272.83%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.97 ₱250

92.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.43 ₱89.7

136.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.43 ₱216

69.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.13 ₱71.0

467.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.36 ₱148

58.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$3.38 ₱213

-24.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.37 ₱86.1

107.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.91 ₱57.0

21.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.74 ₱173

22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.51 ₱473

146.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.28 ₱80.7

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.77 ₱112

90.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.28 ₱17.65

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$9.50 ₱598

385.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.76 ₱48.10

359.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.50

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.49 ₱157

255.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.18 ₱74.4

27.97%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

37.29%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

48.90%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$166 ₱10.4K

31.37%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.43 ₱908

143.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.90 ₱1,505

-10.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$36.56 ₱2,302

58.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.30 ₱271

274.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$7.22 ₱454

56.65%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$71.8 ₱4,521

2612.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$2,507 ₱157.8K

812.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$36.23 ₱2,281

57.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$22.91 ₱1,443

45.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$77.8 ₱4,896

-8.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$76.6 ₱4,819

7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$271 ₱17.1K

231.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$172 ₱10.8K

255.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$526 ₱33.1K

380.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$356 ₱22.4K

255.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,278 ₱143.4K

1191.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$901 ₱56.7K

1221.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

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 Puerto Galera: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Puerto Galera

$172 20.7% 71.8% $440

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Puerto Galera

$203 24.5% 57.3% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Puerto Galera

$204 24.6% 25.6% $70

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Puerto Galera

$92 11% 50.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Puerto Galera

$96 11.6% 12.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Puerto Galera

$51 6.1% 36.8% $30

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Puerto Galera

$13 1.5% 78.1% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $271 in Puerto Galera. 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 Puerto Galera. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $203 – making Puerto Galera the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Puerto Galera

🕒 Local time

08:56 8:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

36,606

💱 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

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Between locations

Seoul Puerto Galera 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Puerto Galera

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 Puerto Galera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 116%, 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 $1,246 in Puerto Galera. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Galera, 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 Puerto Galera. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $831 in Puerto Galera. That's a gap of about 116%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Galera, where all-in costs run around $831, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Puerto Galera it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Galera – 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 Puerto Galera. 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.