Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Tuguegarao

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuguegarao: $579 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Tuguegarao
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Tuguegarao Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Tuguegarao

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $579 in Tuguegarao, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Tuguegarao $579

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $926 in Tuguegarao, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Tuguegarao $926

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,273 in Tuguegarao, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Tuguegarao $1,273

Seoul costs about 210% more than Tuguegarao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Tuguegarao is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$1.62 ₱102

443.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$16.49 ₱1,038

314.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$2.86 ₱180

163.64%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.86 ₱117

127.42%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.44 ₱27.56

270.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.28 ₱17.48

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.98 ₱61.9

271.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.64 ₱103

275.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.68 ₱106

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.15 ₱72.5

172.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.75 ₱47.44

476.00%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.02 ₱127

78.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.08 ₱320

250.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.46 ₱218

202.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.69 ₱484

235.50%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.31 ₱145

231.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.61 ₱101

109.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.34 ₱148

148.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.07 ₱67.3

499.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.75 ₱110

114.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.73 ₱109

46.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.62 ₱38.79

358.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.53 ₱33.17

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$1.94 ₱122

72.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.77 ₱552

110.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.97 ₱61.2

147.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.09 ₱132

61.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.26 ₱16.09

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.09 ₱635

356.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.78 ₱48.85

347.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.42

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.96 ₱123

352.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.08 ₱68.2

39.81%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

37.81%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

44.02%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$31.55 ₱1,987

589.45%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$17.41 ₱1,096

101.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.02 ₱1,449

-7.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$32.30 ₱2,033

79.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$4.57 ₱288

252.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.30 ₱334

113.40%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$134 ₱8,446

1351.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$10.6K ₱669.6K

114.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$28.57 ₱1,799

99.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.36 ₱1,219

72.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$39.20 ₱2,468

82.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$23.67 ₱1,490

248.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$265 ₱16.7K

240.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$171 ₱10.8K

257.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$522 ₱32.9K

383.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$359 ₱22.6K

252.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,452 ₱154.4K

1099.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,035 ₱65.2K

1049.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$207 ₱13.0K

1663.20%

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 Tuguegarao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Tuguegarao

$171 29.5% 72.1% $441

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Tuguegarao

$175 30.2% 63.3% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Tuguegarao

$72 12.4% 73.7% $202

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Tuguegarao

$55 9.5% 70.1% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Tuguegarao

$50 8.6% 54.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Tuguegarao

$43 7.4% 46.8% $38

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Tuguegarao

$13 2.3% 77.3% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $265 in Tuguegarao. 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 1663% 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 $16.00 in Tuguegarao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $175 – making Tuguegarao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Tuguegarao

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

08:24 8:24 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

166,334

💱 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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Between locations

Seoul Tuguegarao 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Tuguegarao

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 Tuguegarao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 210% more than Tuguegarao, 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 $868 in Tuguegarao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 357% less in Tuguegarao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $134 in Tuguegarao. 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 Tuguegarao, where all-in costs run around $579, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tuguegarao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tuguegarao – 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 Tuguegarao. 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.