Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tarlac City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $531 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $531 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Tarlac City $531

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $815 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Tarlac City $815

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,098 in Tarlac City, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Tarlac City $1,098

Seoul costs about 238% more than Tarlac City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Tarlac City is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.04 ₱129

331.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$8.02 ₱505

752.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.84 ₱179

165.49%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.84 ₱116

129.89%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.46 ₱28.88

254.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.30 ₱19.04

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.02 ₱64.2

256.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.63 ₱102

277.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.70 ₱107

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.15 ₱72.5

172.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.01 ₱63.8

327.72%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.95 ₱123

85.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.15 ₱325

246.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$2.66 ₱168

292.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.37 ₱401

305.02%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.61 ₱101

375.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.58 ₱99.6

113.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.95 ₱123

197.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.06 ₱67.1

504.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.74 ₱110

115.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.20 ₱75.6

111.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.62 ₱39.30

358.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.49 ₱30.88

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.99 ₱188

12.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$3.80 ₱239

386.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.90 ₱56.4

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.54 ₱96.9

118.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.23 ₱14.42

395.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$8.22 ₱517

460.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.76 ₱47.98

359.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.25 ₱15.82

152.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.32 ₱83.2

571.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.19 ₱75.2

26.89%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

37.95%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

44.75%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$89.9 ₱5,661

141.93%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$5.72 ₱360

514.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.40 ₱1,473

-9.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$39.83 ₱2,508

45.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$16.18 ₱1,019

-0.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.12 ₱322

120.90%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$132 ₱8,311

1375.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$10.6K ₱669.2K

115.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$28.81 ₱1,814

97.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.45 ₱1,224

71.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$62.3 ₱3,924

14.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$49.52 ₱3,118

66.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$87.6 ₱5,512

928.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$70.7 ₱4,451

765.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$258 ₱16.3K

878.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$165 ₱10.4K

667.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$375 ₱23.6K

7742.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$292 ₱18.4K

3976.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$210 ₱13.2K

1637.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.75

-39.56%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Tarlac City

$71 13.3% 88.4% $541

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Tarlac City

$150 28.2% 68.5% $327

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Tarlac City

$119 22.4% 56.6% $155

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Tarlac City

$58 11% 68.2% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Tarlac City

$72 13.6% 34.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Tarlac City

$50 9.4% 37.9% $31

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Tarlac City

$11 2.1% 80.6% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $87.6 in Tarlac 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 1638% 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 $8.00 in Tarlac City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $150 – making Tarlac City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

20:24 8:24 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

385,398

💱 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 Tarlac City 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Seoul costs about 238% more than Tarlac 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 $797 in Tarlac City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 461% less in Tarlac City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $132 in Tarlac City. 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 Tarlac City, where all-in costs run around $531, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tarlac City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tarlac 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 Tarlac 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.