Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Siargao

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $787 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Siargao
Learn more

Siargao Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Siargao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Siargao

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $787 in Siargao, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Siargao $787

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,226 in Siargao, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Siargao $1,226

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,664 in Siargao, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Siargao $1,664

Seoul costs about 128% more than Siargao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Siargao is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$3.60 ₱227

144.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$19.21 ₱1,210

255.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$3.36 ₱212

124.40%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,673

$2.62 ₱165

61.45%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$0.78 ₱49.46

108.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$0.40 ₱24.97

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$1.25 ₱79.0

191.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$2.18 ₱138

182.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.88 ₱119

6.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$1.23 ₱77.4

154.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$0.96 ₱60.3

350.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$2.00 ₱126

80.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$8.23 ₱519

116.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$4.32 ₱273

141.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$7.50 ₱473

244.00%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$2.97 ₱187

157.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$1.58 ₱99.9

113.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,790

$2.58 ₱162

125.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,593

$1.62 ₱102

295.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,026

$2.25 ₱142

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,405

$2.53 ₱160

0.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$1.10 ₱69.4

158.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$0.71 ₱44.50

56.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$2.83 ₱178

18.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$6.79 ₱428

172.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$1.19 ₱75.3

101.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$2.03 ₱128

66.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$0.26 ₱16.34

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$11.65 ₱734

295.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$0.78 ₱48.93

347.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$0.22 ₱13.82

186.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$2.08 ₱131

325.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.15 ₱72.5

31.30%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$26.3K ₱1.7M

11.47%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$20.2K ₱1.3M

39.92%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$112 ₱7,067

93.97%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$33.18 ₱2,091

5.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$27.75 ₱1,749

-23.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$34.05 ₱2,146

70.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$4.45 ₱280

261.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$5.85 ₱368

93.33%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$154 ₱9,706

1164.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$4,271 ₱269.1K

435.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$46.34 ₱2,920

23.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$26.69 ₱1,682

25.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$76.7 ₱4,831

-6.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$54.2 ₱3,413

52.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$266 ₱16.8K

238.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.5K

$174 ₱10.9K

252.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$582 ₱36.7K

333.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$387 ₱24.4K

227.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$2,349 ₱148.0K

1152.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$978 ₱61.6K

1117.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.67

-38.83%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Siargao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Siargao

$174 22.1% 71.6% $438

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Siargao

$203 25.8% 57.5% $274

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Siargao

$173 22% 36.8% $101

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Siargao

$86 10.9% 53.4% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Siargao

$92 11.7% 16.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Siargao

$46 5.8% 43.3% $35

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Siargao

$15 1.9% 74.6% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $266 in Siargao. 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 $19.00 in Siargao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $203 – making Siargao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Siargao

🕒 Local time

16:27 4:27 PM

15:27 3:27 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

150,000

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 63.02 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.65 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Siargao 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Siargao

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 Siargao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 128% more than Siargao, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,181 in Siargao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 296% less in Siargao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $154 in Siargao. 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 Siargao, where all-in costs run around $787, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Siargao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Siargao – 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 Siargao. 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.