Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and San Fernando, La Union

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $719 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
36

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
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San Fernando, La Union Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in San Fernando, La Union

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 San Fernando, La Union actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $719 in San Fernando, La Union, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
San Fernando, La Union $719

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
San Fernando, La Union $1,102

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,485 in San Fernando, La Union, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
San Fernando, La Union $1,485

Seoul costs about 150% more than San Fernando, La Union, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while San Fernando, La Union is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.93 ₱248

123.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$14.86 ₱936

360.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.45 ₱154

207.76%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.92 ₱121

120.31%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.63 ₱39.53

158.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.30 ₱18.67

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.15 ₱72.3

216.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.78 ₱112

245.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.68 ₱106

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.08 ₱67.7

189.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.03 ₱65.0

319.42%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.93 ₱122

87.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$6.38 ₱402

179.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.77 ₱238

177.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.48 ₱471

244.92%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.38 ₱150

221.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.60 ₱101

111.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.71 ₱170

114.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.21 ₱76.1

429.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.26 ₱142

65.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.07 ₱131

22.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.00 ₱62.8

184.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.58 ₱36.41

91.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.97 ₱187

12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.16 ₱451

158.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.11 ₱70.0

116.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.63 ₱103

106.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.25 ₱15.89

356.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.92 ₱687

322.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.81 ₱51.2

330.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.21 ₱13.52

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.77 ₱111

400.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.02 ₱64.5

48.04%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

39.39%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$18.3K ₱1.1M

54.45%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$109 ₱6,863

99.56%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$16.96 ₱1,068

107.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$27.32 ₱1,720

-22.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$32.83 ₱2,067

76.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.60 ₱290

250.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.76 ₱363

96.35%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$114 ₱7,179

1607.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$9,119 ₱574.1K

150.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$33.24 ₱2,093

71.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$17.66 ₱1,112

89.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$71.9 ₱4,524

-0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$55.6 ₱3,503

48.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$262 ₱16.5K

243.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$169 ₱10.7K

261.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$521 ₱32.8K

385.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$361 ₱22.7K

250.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,558 ₱161.1K

1050.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,037 ₱65.3K

1048.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.79

-39.91%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Fernando, La Union: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

San Fernando, La Union

$169 23.6% 72.3% $442

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

San Fernando, La Union

$183 25.5% 61.6% $294

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

San Fernando, La Union

$153 21.3% 44.1% $121

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

San Fernando, La Union

$75 10.4% 59.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.2% 27% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

San Fernando, La Union

$44 6.2% 45% $36

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

San Fernando, La Union

$14 1.9% 75.9% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $262 in San Fernando, La Union. 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 $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $183 – making San Fernando, La Union the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

12:14 12:14 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

83,003

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Seoul San Fernando, La Union 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
San Fernando, La Union

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 San Fernando, La Union: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 150%, 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 $1,079 in San Fernando, La Union. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, La Union, 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 $15.00 in San Fernando, La Union. 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 $719 in San Fernando, La Union. That's a gap of about 150%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Fernando, La Union, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Seoul at $1,794. In San Fernando, La Union it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Fernando, La Union – 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 San Fernando, La Union. 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.