Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and San Pedro

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro: $724 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
35

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro
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San Pedro Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

San Pedro

🇵🇭 Philippines

$724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $724 in San Pedro, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
San Pedro $724

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,089 in San Pedro, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
San Pedro $1,089

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,454 in San Pedro, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
San Pedro $1,454

Seoul costs about 148% more than San Pedro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while San Pedro is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.02 ₱253

118.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$16.88 ₱1,063

305.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.85 ₱180

164.56%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.86 ₱117

127.42%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.60 ₱37.65

171.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.31 ₱19.31

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.99 ₱62.3

267.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.58 ₱99.2

289.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.62 ₱102

24.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.11 ₱69.7

181.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.97 ₱61.0

345.36%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.03 ₱128

77.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.15 ₱325

246.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.34 ₱211

212.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.08 ₱446

264.41%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.23 ₱140

243.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.55 ₱97.7

118.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.35 ₱148

147.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.07 ₱67.2

499.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.75 ₱110

114.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.77 ₱111

43.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.62 ₱39.15

358.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.49 ₱31.02

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.01 ₱190

11.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.89 ₱560

107.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.91 ₱57.5

163.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.00 ₱126

68.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.25 ₱15.81

356.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.12 ₱637

355.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.79 ₱49.95

341.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.21 ₱13.18

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.87 ₱118

373.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.22 ₱76.6

23.77%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

39.23%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

47.49%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$121 ₱7,644

79.15%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.89 ₱1,000

121.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.65 ₱1,489

-9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$36.88 ₱2,322

57.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.10 ₱258

292.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.12 ₱322

120.90%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$135 ₱8,517

1339.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$9,087 ₱572.1K

151.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$29.09 ₱1,831

96.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.79 ₱1,246

68.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$72.1 ₱4,540

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$55.6 ₱3,502

48.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$262 ₱16.5K

244.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$177 ₱11.2K

244.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$542 ₱34.1K

366.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$342 ₱21.5K

270.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,313 ₱145.6K

1171.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$855 ₱53.8K

1292.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$129 ₱8,116

2731.79%

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 Pedro: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

San Pedro

$177 24.5% 71% $434

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

San Pedro

$171 23.7% 64.1% $305

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

San Pedro

$161 22.2% 41.2% $113

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

San Pedro

$75 10.3% 59.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

San Pedro

$79 11% 27.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

San Pedro

$47 6.5% 41.6% $34

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

San Pedro

$13 1.8% 77.4% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $262 in San Pedro. 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 2732% 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 Pedro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $171 – making San Pedro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 San Pedro

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

326,001

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Seoul San Pedro 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
San Pedro

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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 148%, 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 $1,086 in San Pedro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 356% less in San Pedro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $135 in San Pedro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Pedro, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Seoul at $1,794. In San Pedro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Pedro – 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 Pedro. 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.