Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $749 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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 Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$749

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $749 in San Juan, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
San Juan $749

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,101 in San Juan, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
San Juan $1,101

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,452 in San Juan, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
San Juan $1,452

Seoul costs about 140% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while San Juan is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.05 ₱255

117.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$16.88 ₱1,063

305.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$2.82 ₱177

167.38%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$2.76 ₱174

53.26%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$0.66 ₱41.32

146.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.31 ₱19.49

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$1.07 ₱67.3

240.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$1.56 ₱98.5

294.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.69 ₱107

18.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$1.12 ₱70.5

179.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$0.84 ₱52.7

414.29%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$1.82 ₱114

98.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$5.24 ₱330

240.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.46 ₱218

202.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$7.21 ₱454

257.84%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.32 ₱146

230.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$1.36 ₱85.9

148.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$2.33 ₱147

149.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$1.06 ₱66.8

504.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$1.69 ₱107

121.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$1.74 ₱110

45.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$0.67 ₱42.19

323.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$0.97 ₱61.3

14.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$2.71 ₱171

23.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$7.79 ₱490

137.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$0.92 ₱58.0

160.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$1.84 ₱116

83.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.26 ₱16.26

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

$12.14 ₱765

279.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$0.79 ₱49.73

341.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.23 ₱14.52

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.95 ₱123

354.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$1.24 ₱77.8

21.77%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

39.55%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

48.77%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$141 ₱8,881

54.28%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$14.25 ₱898

146.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$24.38 ₱1,536

-12.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$30.07 ₱1,894

93.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$4.41 ₱278

265.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$5.07 ₱319

123.08%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$74.3 ₱4,679

2521.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$2,556 ₱161.0K

794.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$29.32 ₱1,847

94.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$19.71 ₱1,241

69.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$72.1 ₱4,541

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$56.8 ₱3,575

45.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$303 ₱19.1K

196.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$173 ₱10.9K

252.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$515 ₱32.4K

390.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$302 ₱19.0K

319.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$2,681 ₱168.9K

997.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$1,115 ₱70.2K

967.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$243 ₱15.3K

1399.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.75

-39.56%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

San Juan

$173 23.1% 71.7% $438

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

San Juan

$175 23.3% 63.4% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

San Juan

$180 24% 34.4% $94

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

San Juan

$86 11.5% 53% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

San Juan

$80 10.7% 27.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

San Juan

$40 5.4% 50.2% $40

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

San Juan

$15 2% 73.6% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $303 in San Juan. 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 1399% 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 $17.00 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $175 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 San Juan

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

126,347

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul San Juan 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
San Juan

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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $749 in San Juan – roughly 140% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,124 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $74.3 in San Juan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 173% 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 San Juan, where all-in costs run around $749, than in Seoul at $1,794. In San Juan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Juan – 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 Juan. 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.