Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Taytay

For one person, living is cheaper in Taytay: $748 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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 Taytay
Learn more

Taytay Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Taytay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Taytay

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $748 in Taytay, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Taytay $748

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,131 in Taytay, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Taytay $1,131

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,513 in Taytay, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Taytay $1,513

Seoul costs about 140% more than Taytay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Taytay is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$4.84 ₱305

81.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$19.29 ₱1,214

254.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$3.16 ₱199

138.61%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.62 ₱165

61.45%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.79 ₱49.44

106.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.49 ₱30.93

51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.18 ₱74.3

208.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.56 ₱98.4

294.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.68 ₱106

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.11 ₱69.8

181.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.01 ₱63.5

327.72%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.04 ₱128

76.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$4.96 ₱313

259.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.45 ₱218

202.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.89 ₱434

274.46%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.22 ₱140

245.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.60 ₱101

111.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.40 ₱151

142.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.06 ₱67.0

504.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.73 ₱109

116.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.78 ₱112

42.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.65 ₱41.12

336.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.49 ₱30.67

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.03 ₱191

10.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.73 ₱549

111.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.91 ₱57.6

163.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.10 ₱132

60.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.28 ₱17.57

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$12.46 ₱784

270.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.78 ₱48.86

347.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.53

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.93 ₱122

359.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.22 ₱76.5

23.77%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

37.72%

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

$123 ₱7,751

76.67%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.73 ₱990

123.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.52 ₱1,481

-9.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$29.67 ₱1,868

95.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.05 ₱255

297.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.13 ₱323

120.47%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$131 ₱8,275

1381.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$9,053 ₱570.0K

152.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$28.64 ₱1,803

99.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.71 ₱1,241

69.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$71.1 ₱4,478

0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$56.0 ₱3,527

47.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$230 ₱14.5K

291.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$186 ₱11.7K

229.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$532 ₱33.5K

374.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$358 ₱22.5K

253.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,490 ₱156.8K

1081.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,015 ₱63.9K

1072.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

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 Taytay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Taytay

$186 24.8% 69.7% $426

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Taytay

$172 23% 63.9% $305

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Taytay

$162 21.7% 40.7% $112

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Taytay

$94 12.5% 49% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Taytay

$79 10.6% 28.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Taytay

$40 5.3% 50.5% $41

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Taytay

$16 2.1% 73% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $230 in Taytay. 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 $19.00 in Taytay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $172 – making Taytay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Taytay

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

386,451

💱 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 Taytay 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Taytay

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 Taytay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 140% more than Taytay, 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 $1,122 in Taytay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 270% less in Taytay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $131 in Taytay. 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 Taytay, where all-in costs run around $748, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Taytay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taytay – 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 Taytay. 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.