Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Zamboanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $748 a month against $1,804 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
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Zamboanga Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Zamboanga

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

A single person spends $1,804 per month in Seoul vs $748 in Zamboanga, rent included.

Seoul $1,804
Zamboanga $748

A couple spends around $2,877 per month in Seoul vs $1,123 in Zamboanga, rent included.

Seoul $2,877
Zamboanga $1,123

A family of three spends $3,950 per month in Seoul vs $1,497 in Zamboanga, rent included.

Seoul $3,950
Zamboanga $1,497

Seoul costs about 141% more than Zamboanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$1.33 ₱83.5

584.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$16.41 ₱1,033

306.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$3.50 ₱220

114.00%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$2.09 ₱132

100.48%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$0.86 ₱54.0

80.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$0.40 ₱24.88

97.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$1.44 ₱90.8

152.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$2.05 ₱129

199.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$1.75 ₱110

20.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$1.41 ₱89.0

116.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$1.16 ₱73.0

262.93%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$1.46 ₱91.7

142.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$10.01 ₱630

80.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$4.05 ₱255

155.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$3.33 ₱209

694.89%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$3.17 ₱200

149.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$1.18 ₱74.1

191.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$3.82 ₱241

47.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$1.16 ₱73.1

452.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$1.26 ₱79.6

194.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$2.56 ₱161

-1.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$0.86 ₱54.4

233.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$0.51 ₱32.39

127.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.74 ₱172

22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$4.23 ₱266

342.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$1.30 ₱82.1

75.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$1.97 ₱124

68.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

$0.22 ₱13.88

413.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

$11.19 ₱704

317.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$0.82 ₱51.9

329.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$0.23 ₱14.50

178.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$1.88 ₱118

365.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$1.02 ₱64.4

42.16%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

36.46%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

45.09%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$124 ₱7,826

69.64%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$15.48 ₱975

128.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$47.25 ₱2,975

-56.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$35.74 ₱2,250

61.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$4.67 ₱294

246.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$5.07 ₱319

124.26%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$133 ₱8,372

1379.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$8,082 ₱508.9K

181.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$32.93 ₱2,073

74.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$19.29 ₱1,215

71.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$70.8 ₱4,457

-0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$55.7 ₱3,505

51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$266 ₱16.8K

229.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$175 ₱11.0K

257.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$332 ₱20.9K

656.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$360 ₱22.6K

257.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$2,366 ₱149.0K

1183.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$998 ₱62.9K

1089.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$193 ₱12.2K

1761.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.79

-39.91%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Zamboanga

$175 23.3% 72% $449

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Zamboanga

$184 24.6% 61.7% $296

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Zamboanga

$187 25% 29.9% $80

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Zamboanga

$62 8.4% 66.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Zamboanga

$80 10.7% 27% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Zamboanga

$46 6.1% 43% $35

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Zamboanga

$14 1.9% 75.8% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Seoul versus $266 in Zamboanga. 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 1761% 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $16.00 in Zamboanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $184 – making Zamboanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

22:21 10:21 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Zamboanga 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Zamboanga

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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 141% more than Zamboanga, 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 $2,707 per month in Seoul and $1,123 in Zamboanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 318% less in Zamboanga. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Seoul and $133 in Zamboanga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zamboanga, where all-in costs run around $748, than in Seoul at $1,804. In Zamboanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zamboanga – 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 Zamboanga. 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.