Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacloban and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $773 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$773

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tacloban and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tacloban and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $773 per month in Tacloban vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Tacloban $773
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,160 per month in Tacloban vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Tacloban $1,160
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $1,548 per month in Tacloban vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Tacloban $1,548
Seoul $3,931

Tacloban is about 57% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tacloban sits 43% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 ₱193

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-65.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.80 ₱995

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-76.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.36 ₱149

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-68.70%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₱152

$4.23 ₩5,624

-43.03%

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

$0.66 ₱41.55

$1.63 ₩2,167

-59.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₱23.54

$0.74 ₩985

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₱98.2

$3.64 ₩4,843

-57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₱139

$6.15 ₩8,175

-64.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ₱128

$2.01 ₩2,679

1.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ₱73.9

$3.13 ₩4,164

-62.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱56.7

$4.32 ₩5,744

-79.17%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$3.61 ₩4,794

-45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 ₱629

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-43.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 ₱273

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-58.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 ₱453

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-72.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₱218

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-54.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₱69.0

$3.38 ₩4,499

-67.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$5.81 ₩7,723

-60.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ₱93.5

$6.41 ₩8,520

-76.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$3.75 ₩4,983

-37.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.54 ₩3,375

-24.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱71.9

$2.84 ₩3,782

-59.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.22

$1.11 ₩1,472

-42.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₱123

$3.35 ₩4,455

-41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 ₱392

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-66.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.0

$2.40 ₩3,185

-52.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₱104

$3.37 ₩4,480

-50.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱17.05

$1.14 ₩1,521

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.05 ₱696

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-76.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.11

$3.49 ₩4,643

-77.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$0.63 ₩840

-63.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-78.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ₱62.1

$1.51 ₩2,005

-34.44%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-27.60%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-30.45%

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

$120 ₱7,542

$218 ₩289.2K

-44.93%

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

$14.07 ₱886

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-59.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.83 ₱1,752

$21.29 ₩28.3K

30.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.70 ₱2,059

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-43.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.69 ₱295

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-70.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 ₱361

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-49.34%

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

$134 ₱8,419

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-93.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,021 ₱505.0K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-64.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.68 ₱2,057

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-42.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,214

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-42.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 ₱4,797

$71.5 ₩95.0K

6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.1 ₱3,597

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₱16.5K

$901 ₩1.2M

-70.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ₱12.0K

$612 ₩813.5K

-68.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ₱32.9K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-79.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₱22.7K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-71.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,393 ₱150.6K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-91.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 ₱61.5K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-91.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$347 ₱21.9K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-90.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.08

76.47%

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

Last update for Tacloban: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tacloban

$202 26.1%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 136% $275

Accommodation & Living

Tacloban

$191 24.7%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 220% $421

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacloban

$162 20.9%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 69.4% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Tacloban

$83 10.8%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 31.9% $27

Eating Out

Tacloban

$77 9.9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 139% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Tacloban

$44 5.7%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 82.7% $37

Getting Around

Tacloban

$14 1.8%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 308% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Tacloban versus $901 in Seoul. 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 950% 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 $16.00 in Tacloban versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $477 – making Tacloban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

1 h ahead of Tacloban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,089

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tacloban Seoul 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tacloban
Seoul

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

Tacloban vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 132% more than Tacloban, 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 $1,160 per month in Tacloban and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 317% less in Tacloban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $134 per month in Tacloban and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tacloban, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tacloban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tacloban – 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 Tacloban. 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.