Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and San Fernando

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $703 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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
34

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
Learn more

San Fernando Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

San Fernando

🇵🇭 Philippines

$703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in San Fernando

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $703 in San Fernando.

Seoul $1,794
San Fernando $703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $1,059 in San Fernando.

Seoul $2,863
San Fernando $1,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $1,415 in San Fernando.

Seoul $3,931
San Fernando $1,415

Living in Seoul is roughly 155% more expensive than in San Fernando, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 33% above, San Fernando is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.01 ₱252

119.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$16.71 ₱1,052

309.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.88 ₱181

161.81%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.77 ₱112

138.98%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.38 ₱23.97

328.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.31 ₱19.32

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.97 ₱61.2

275.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.25 ₱78.5

392.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.70 ₱107

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.11 ₱70.1

181.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.99 ₱62.2

336.36%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.00 ₱126

80.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$4.95 ₱311

260.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.37 ₱212

210.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.79 ₱490

231.19%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.19 ₱138

249.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.26 ₱79.2

168.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.32 ₱146

150.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.07 ₱67.1

499.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.69 ₱106

121.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.57 ₱99.0

61.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.62 ₱39.14

358.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.53 ₱33.09

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.97 ₱187

12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.92 ₱561

107.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.97 ₱60.8

147.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.30 ₱81.7

159.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.26 ₱16.12

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$11.02 ₱694

318.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.67 ₱41.89

420.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.36

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$0.94 ₱59.3

842.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.01 ₱63.8

49.50%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

37.49%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

48.82%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$141 ₱8,907

53.76%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$17.77 ₱1,119

97.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.40 ₱1,473

-9.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$32.05 ₱2,018

81.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.68 ₱295

244.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.82 ₱303

134.65%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$80.0 ₱5,033

2335.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$1,118 ₱70.4K

1943.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$19.46 ₱1,225

193.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$16.21 ₱1,021

105.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$32.14 ₱2,023

122.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$48.08 ₱3,027

71.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$262 ₱16.5K

243.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$170 ₱10.7K

259.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$523 ₱32.9K

383.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$356 ₱22.4K

255.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,438 ₱153.5K

1106.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$994 ₱62.6K

1097.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$339 ₱21.3K

977.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-32.00%

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: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

San Fernando

$170 24.2% 72.2% $442

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

San Fernando

$170 24.3% 64.2% $306

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

San Fernando

$183 26% 33.3% $91

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

San Fernando

$72 10.3% 60.8% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

San Fernando

$52 7.4% 52.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

San Fernando

$42 5.9% 48.3% $39

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

San Fernando

$14 2% 75.8% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $262 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 977% 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 $17.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $170 per month, with San Fernando cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 San Fernando

🕒 Local time

01:57 1:57 AM

00:57 12:57 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

354,666

💱 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 San Fernando 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
San Fernando

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and San Fernando differ by about 155% in total monthly costs ($1,794 vs $703 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 977% 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 $262 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $80.0 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 180% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $703 in San Fernando versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando 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 San Fernando 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 San Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.