Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tacloban

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $773 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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 Tacloban
Learn more

Tacloban Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Tacloban

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $773 in Tacloban, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Tacloban $773

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,160 in Tacloban, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Tacloban $1,160

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,548 in Tacloban, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Tacloban $1,548

Seoul costs about 132% more than Tacloban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Tacloban is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.06 ₱193

187.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$15.80 ₱995

332.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.36 ₱149

219.49%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.41 ₱152

75.52%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.66 ₱41.55

146.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.37 ₱23.54

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.56 ₱98.2

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.21 ₱139

178.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.03 ₱128

-0.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.17 ₱73.9

167.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.90 ₱56.7

380.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.95 ₱123

85.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$10.00 ₱629

78.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.34 ₱273

140.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.20 ₱453

258.33%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.47 ₱218

120.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.10 ₱69.0

207.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.32 ₱146

150.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.48 ₱93.5

333.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.36 ₱149

58.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.92 ₱121

32.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.14 ₱71.9

149.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.64 ₱40.22

73.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$1.95 ₱123

71.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$6.23 ₱392

196.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.13 ₱71.0

112.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.66 ₱104

103.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.27 ₱17.05

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$11.05 ₱696

317.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.78 ₱49.11

347.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.54

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.87 ₱118

373.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$0.99 ₱62.1

52.53%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

38.12%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

43.77%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$120 ₱7,542

81.58%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.07 ₱886

149.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$27.83 ₱1,752

-23.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$32.70 ₱2,059

77.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.69 ₱295

243.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.73 ₱361

97.38%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$134 ₱8,419

1356.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$8,021 ₱505.0K

185.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$32.68 ₱2,057

74.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.29 ₱1,214

73.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$76.2 ₱4,797

-6.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$57.1 ₱3,597

44.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$263 ₱16.5K

242.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$191 ₱12.0K

220.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$523 ₱32.9K

383.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$360 ₱22.7K

251.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,393 ₱150.6K

1129.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$976 ₱61.5K

1119.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$347 ₱21.9K

950.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

7.2

-43.33%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Tacloban

$191 24.7% 68.8% $421

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Tacloban

$202 26.1% 57.7% $275

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Tacloban

$162 20.9% 41% $112

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Tacloban

$77 9.9% 58.2% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Tacloban

$83 10.8% 24.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Tacloban

$44 5.7% 45.3% $37

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Tacloban

$14 1.8% 75.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $263 in Tacloban. 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 950% 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 $16.00 in Tacloban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $202 – making Tacloban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

242,089

💱 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 Tacloban 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Tacloban

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 Tacloban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 132% more than Tacloban, 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 $1,160 in Tacloban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 317% less in Tacloban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $134 in Tacloban. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tacloban, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tacloban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tacloban – 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 Tacloban. 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.