Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 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 Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Tagum 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 Tagum City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $437 in Tagum City, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Tagum City $437

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $541 in Tagum City, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Tagum City $541

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $645 in Tagum City, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Tagum City $645

Seoul costs about 310% more than Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Tagum City is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$5.50 ₱346

60.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$12.68 ₱799

439.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.05 ₱318

49.31%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.29 ₱144

84.72%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.87 ₱117

94.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.44 ₱90.9

327.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.62 ₱102

24.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.88 ₱119

92.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$8.06 ₱507

220.10%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$6.41 ₱404

19.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.37 ₱86.0

75.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.25 ₱15.76

356.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.37 ₱86.2

10.22%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$55.7 ₱3,506

290.59%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$8.09 ₱510

334.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$27.46 ₱1,729

-22.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$23.71 ₱1,493

144.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$3.28 ₱206

244.82%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$159 ₱9,992

467.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$129 ₱8,124

374.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$323 ₱20.3K

683.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$203 ₱12.8K

1698.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Tagum City

$129 29.5% 78.9% $483

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9% 81.8% $390

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Tagum City

$91 20.9% 66.7% $183

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6% 46.2% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Tagum City

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Tagum City

$30 6.9% 62.5% $50

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2% 98.3% $56

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 $159 in Tagum 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 1698% 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 $13.00 in Tagum City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $87.0 – making Tagum City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

296,202

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Tagum City 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Tagum 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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 310% more than Tagum 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 $656 in Tagum City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tagum 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 $437 in Tagum City. That's a gap of about 310%.

Groceries cost about 449% 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 Tagum City, where all-in costs run around $437, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tagum City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tagum 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 Tagum 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.