Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Toledo City

For one person, living is cheaper in Toledo City: $647 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Toledo City
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Toledo City Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Toledo City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $647 in Toledo City, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Toledo City $647

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,023 in Toledo City, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Toledo City $1,023

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,398 in Toledo City, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Toledo City $1,398

Seoul costs about 177% more than Toledo City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Toledo City is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.87 ₱181

206.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$19.01 ₱1,197

259.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$3.11 ₱196

142.44%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.87 ₱117

126.20%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.65 ₱40.86

150.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.31 ₱19.32

138.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$1.06 ₱67.0

243.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.71 ₱108

259.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.66 ₱104

21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.21 ₱76.3

158.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.90 ₱56.4

380.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.88 ₱118

92.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.95 ₱375

199.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$4.10 ₱258

154.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$6.15 ₱387

319.51%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.27 ₱206

134.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.04 ₱65.2

225.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.80 ₱176

107.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.38 ₱87.0

364.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.33 ₱147

60.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.84 ₱179

-10.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.45 ₱91.3

95.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.76 ₱48.04

46.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$0.82 ₱51.6

308.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$6.18 ₱389

199.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.08 ₱67.9

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.29 ₱81.1

161.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.29 ₱18.09

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$9.95 ₱626

363.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.82 ₱51.8

325.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.33 ₱21.08

90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$2.46 ₱155

260.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.16 ₱73.3

30.17%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

37.84%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

44.04%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$63.4 ₱3,992

243.09%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.51 ₱599

269.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$26.91 ₱1,694

-20.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$31.76 ₱2,000

82.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.72 ₱297

241.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$1.57 ₱99.1

620.38%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$79.6 ₱5,013

2346.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$7,190 ₱452.7K

217.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$32.71 ₱2,059

74.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.70 ₱1,240

69.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$55.4 ₱3,491

28.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$55.9 ₱3,519

47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$268 ₱16.9K

235.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$173 ₱10.9K

253.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$508 ₱32.0K

396.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$361 ₱22.7K

251.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,390 ₱150.5K

1130.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$992 ₱62.5K

1099.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$320 ₱20.1K

1040.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

-32.00%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Toledo City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Toledo City

$173 26.7% 71.7% $439

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Toledo City

$185 28.6% 61.1% $292

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Toledo City

$100 15.4% 63.6% $174

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Toledo City

$67 10.4% 63.4% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Toledo City

$74 11.4% 33% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Toledo City

$35 5.4% 56.7% $46

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Toledo City

$14 2.1% 76.3% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $268 in Toledo 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 1041% 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 $19.00 in Toledo City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $185 – making Toledo City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Toledo City

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

206,692

💱 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 Toledo City 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Seoul costs about 177% more than Toledo 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 $971 in Toledo City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toledo 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 363% less in Toledo City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $79.6 in Toledo 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 Toledo City, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Toledo City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Toledo 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 Toledo 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.