Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tagbilaran City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagbilaran City: $624 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Tagbilaran City
Learn more

Tagbilaran City Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Tagbilaran City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Tagbilaran City

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $624 in Tagbilaran City, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Tagbilaran City $624

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,001 in Tagbilaran City, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Tagbilaran City $1,001

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,378 in Tagbilaran City, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Tagbilaran City $1,378

Seoul costs about 187% more than Tagbilaran City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Tagbilaran City is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.98 ₱187

195.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$17.24 ₱1,086

296.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$2.89 ₱182

160.90%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$2.47 ₱156

71.26%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$0.94 ₱58.9

73.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$0.46 ₱29.06

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$0.83 ₱52.1

338.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$2.18 ₱137

182.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.55 ₱97.5

29.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$1.06 ₱66.9

195.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$0.90 ₱56.7

380.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$1.75 ₱110

106.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$9.33 ₱588

91.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.37 ₱275

139.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$7.55 ₱476

241.72%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.86 ₱180

167.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$1.35 ₱85.3

150.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$2.41 ₱152

141.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$1.52 ₱95.8

321.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$2.42 ₱152

54.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$1.97 ₱124

28.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$0.65 ₱40.91

336.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$0.46 ₱29.17

141.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$2.38 ₱150

40.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$6.11 ₱385

202.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$0.90 ₱56.9

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$1.07 ₱67.3

214.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.47 ₱29.40

142.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$0.77 ₱48.54

353.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.23 ₱14.51

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$4.38 ₱276

102.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$1.04 ₱65.5

45.19%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

39.37%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

43.97%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$80.8 ₱5,088

169.31%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$14.28 ₱899

146.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$25.27 ₱1,592

-15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$11.21 ₱706

417.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$3.35 ₱211

380.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$3.62 ₱228

212.43%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$281 ₱17.7K

593.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$8,018 ₱505.0K

185.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$37.11 ₱2,337

53.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$17.96 ₱1,132

85.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$64.0 ₱4,033

11.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$57.0 ₱3,592

44.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$194 ₱12.2K

365.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$139 ₱8,779

339.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$477 ₱30.1K

429.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$339 ₱21.3K

273.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$785 ₱49.4K

3649.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$470 ₱29.6K

2433.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$178 ₱11.2K

1949.51%

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 Tagbilaran City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Tagbilaran City

$139 22.3% 77.2% $472

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Tagbilaran City

$187 30% 60.8% $290

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Tagbilaran City

$120 19.3% 56.1% $154

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Tagbilaran City

$76 12.2% 58.5% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Tagbilaran City

$79 12.7% 27.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Tagbilaran City

$18 3% 77.1% $62

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Tagbilaran City

$3.8 * 0.6% 93.4% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $194 in Tagbilaran City. 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 1950% 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 Tagbilaran City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $187 – making Tagbilaran City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Tagbilaran City

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

07:09 7:09 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

86,411

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Tagbilaran City 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Tagbilaran City

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 Tagbilaran City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 187% more than Tagbilaran City, 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 $937 in Tagbilaran City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $624 in Tagbilaran City. That's a gap of about 187%.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $281 in Tagbilaran City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tagbilaran City, where all-in costs run around $624, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tagbilaran City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tagbilaran City – 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 Tagbilaran City. 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.