Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Roxas

For one person, living is cheaper in Roxas: $379 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Roxas
Learn more

Roxas Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Roxas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$379

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Roxas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $379 in Roxas.

Seoul $1,794
Roxas $379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $602 in Roxas.

Seoul $2,863
Roxas $602

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $826 in Roxas.

Seoul $3,931
Roxas $826

Living in Seoul is roughly 374% more expensive than in Roxas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, Roxas is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.86 ₱180

207.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$19.03 ₱1,198

259.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.41 ₱152

212.86%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.86 ₱117

127.42%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.46 ₱28.68

254.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.14 ₱8.66

428.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.10 ₱69.4

230.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.79 ₱113

243.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.60 ₱101

25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$0.88 ₱55.2

255.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.89 ₱56.1

385.39%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.88 ₱118

92.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.99 ₱377

197.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.96 ₱249

163.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.34 ₱399

306.94%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.63 ₱103

369.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$0.94 ₱59.1

259.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.25 ₱78.9

364.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$0.77 ₱48.19

732.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.00 ₱63.1

275.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.99 ₱62.3

156.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.39 ₱87.3

104.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.77 ₱48.29

44.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.19 ₱138

52.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$6.50 ₱409

184.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.14 ₱71.6

110.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.29 ₱81.4

161.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.83 ₱52.1

320.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.33 ₱20.97

90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.36 ₱149

275.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.02 ₱63.9

48.04%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

35.14%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

43.88%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$62.3 ₱3,919

249.43%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$7.83 ₱493

348.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$21.89 ₱1,378

-2.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.88 ₱307

131.76%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$31.94 ₱2,011

5997.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$23.93 ₱1,507

138.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$17.18 ₱1,082

94.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$55.7 ₱3,504

28.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$24.03 ₱1,513

243.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$318 ₱20.0K

183.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$575 ₱36.2K

534.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

7.33

-44.34%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Roxas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Roxas

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Roxas

$156 41.3% 67.2% $321

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Roxas

$92 24.3% 66.4% $182

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Roxas

$64 16.9% 65.3% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Roxas

$54 14.4% 50.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Roxas

$9.8 * 2.6% 87.9% $71

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Roxas

$2.5 * 0.7% 95.7% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $318 in Roxas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 535% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Seoul vs $19.00 in Roxas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $156 per month, with Roxas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Roxas

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

167,003

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Roxas 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Roxas

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 Roxas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Roxas differ by about 374% in total monthly costs ($1,794 vs $379 including rent). Roxas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 535% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $901 in Seoul versus $318 in Roxas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 205% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $379 in Roxas – a 374% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $379 in Roxas versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Roxas but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Roxas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Roxas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Roxas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 374% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.