Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Vigan

For one person, living is cheaper in Vigan: $718 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
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Seoul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Vigan
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Vigan Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Vigan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Vigan

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $718 in Vigan, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Vigan $718

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,125 in Vigan, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Vigan $1,125

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,533 in Vigan, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Vigan $1,533

Seoul costs about 150% more than Vigan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.89 ₱245

126.22%

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

$1.77 ₱112

325.99%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$1.84 ₱116

129.89%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.55 ₱34.93

196.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.33 ₱20.81

124.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.98 ₱62.0

271.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$1.55 ₱97.8

296.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.67 ₱105

20.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.13 ₱71.0

176.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.95 ₱60.0

354.74%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.01 ₱126

79.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$5.13 ₱323

247.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.44 ₱216

203.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$7.91 ₱498

226.17%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.30 ₱145

233.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.54 ₱96.9

119.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.35 ₱148

147.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.03 ₱64.8

522.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$1.74 ₱109

115.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.72 ₱108

47.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.61 ₱38.63

365.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.53 ₱33.07

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.93 ₱184

14.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$8.74 ₱550

111.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.98 ₱61.5

144.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.06 ₱129

63.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.24 ₱15.21

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$10.80 ₱680

326.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$0.82 ₱51.5

325.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.23 ₱14.46

173.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$1.92 ₱121

361.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.27 ₱79.7

18.90%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

36.12%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

43.76%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$139 ₱8,723

56.99%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$17.81 ₱1,121

97.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.55 ₱1,483

-9.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$33.22 ₱2,091

74.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$5.06 ₱319

218.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.10 ₱321

121.76%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$131 ₱8,268

1383.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$10.6K ₱668.5K

115.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$28.39 ₱1,787

100.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$19.84 ₱1,249

68.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$72.3 ₱4,555

-1.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$56.0 ₱3,526

47.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$228 ₱14.4K

294.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$156 ₱9,812

292.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$525 ₱33.0K

381.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$405 ₱25.5K

212.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$2,466 ₱155.2K

1093.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,003 ₱63.1K

1086.93%

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 Vigan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Vigan

$156 21.7% 74.5% $456

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Vigan

$175 24.4% 63.2% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Vigan

$180 25.1% 34.3% $94

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Vigan

$70 9.8% 61.8% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Vigan

$79 11.1% 27.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Vigan

$43 6.1% 46.2% $37

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Vigan

$14 1.9% 76.1% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $228 in Vigan. 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 $16.00 in Vigan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $175 – making Vigan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Vigan

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

12:42 12:42 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

53,879

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Vigan 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Vigan

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 Vigan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 150% more than Vigan, 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 $1,077 in Vigan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 327% less in Vigan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $131 in Vigan. 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 Vigan, where all-in costs run around $718, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Vigan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vigan – 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 Vigan. 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.