Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tanay Rizal

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanay Rizal: $715 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Tanay Rizal
Learn more

Tanay Rizal Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Tanay Rizal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Tanay Rizal

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $715 in Tanay Rizal, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Tanay Rizal $715

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,110 in Tanay Rizal, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Tanay Rizal $1,110

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,505 in Tanay Rizal, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Tanay Rizal $1,505

Seoul costs about 151% more than Tanay Rizal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Tanay Rizal is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.85 ₱242

128.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$16.69 ₱1,051

309.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.81 ₱177

168.33%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.17 ₱137

94.93%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.66 ₱41.51

146.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.34 ₱21.11

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.18 ₱74.0

208.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.90 ₱120

223.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.60 ₱101

25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.23 ₱77.1

154.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.02 ₱64.0

323.53%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.87 ₱118

93.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$4.75 ₱299

275.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.32 ₱272

141.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.72 ₱423

283.93%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.17 ₱137

253.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.67 ₱105

102.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.45 ₱154

137.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.25 ₱78.8

412.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.08 ₱131

80.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.87 ₱118

35.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.00 ₱62.9

184.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.49 ₱31.06

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.51 ₱158

33.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.39 ₱466

150.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.01 ₱63.8

137.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.13 ₱134

58.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.27 ₱16.87

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.44 ₱657

341.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.75 ₱47.04

365.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.25 ₱15.69

152.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.74 ₱109

409.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.24 ₱78.2

21.77%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.9K ₱1.4M

33.47%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$16.9K ₱1.1M

66.88%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$110 ₱6,934

97.49%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$14.56 ₱917

141.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$24.81 ₱1,562

-14.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$29.37 ₱1,849

97.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.17 ₱263

286.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.20 ₱328

117.50%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$127 ₱8,014

1430.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$7,384 ₱464.9K

209.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$32.84 ₱2,068

73.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$20.83 ₱1,311

60.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$73.0 ₱4,597

-2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$56.6 ₱3,565

45.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$270 ₱17.0K

234.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$174 ₱10.9K

251.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$504 ₱31.7K

401.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$393 ₱24.7K

222.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,052 ₱129.2K

1333.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$938 ₱59.1K

1168.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.79

-39.91%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tanay Rizal: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Tanay Rizal

$174 24.3% 71.6% $438

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Tanay Rizal

$177 24.7% 62.9% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Tanay Rizal

$150 20.9% 45.4% $124

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Tanay Rizal

$79 11% 57.1% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Tanay Rizal

$82 11.5% 25% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Tanay Rizal

$40 5.6% 50.7% $41

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Tanay Rizal

$14 1.9% 76.5% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $270 in Tanay Rizal. 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 $17.00 in Tanay Rizal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $177 – making Tanay Rizal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Tanay Rizal

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

11:45 11:45 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

59,950

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Tanay Rizal 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Tanay Rizal

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 Tanay Rizal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 151% more than Tanay Rizal, 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 $1,072 in Tanay Rizal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 342% less in Tanay Rizal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $127 in Tanay Rizal. 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 Tanay Rizal, where all-in costs run around $715, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tanay Rizal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tanay Rizal – 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 Tanay Rizal. 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.