Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tagum City and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $437 per month in Tagum City vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Tagum City $437
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $541 per month in Tagum City vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Tagum City $541
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $645 per month in Tagum City vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Tagum City $645
Seoul $3,931

Tagum City is about 76% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tagum City sits 68% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 ₱347

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-37.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.68 ₱799

$68.4 ₩91.2K

-81.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ₱318

$7.54 ₩10.1K

-33.02%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₱144

$4.23 ₩5,644

-45.86%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₱118

$3.64 ₩4,860

-48.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₱91.0

$6.15 ₩8,203

-76.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$2.01 ₩2,688

-19.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$3.61 ₩4,810

-47.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 ₱508

$25.80 ₩34.4K

-68.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₱86.1

$2.40 ₩3,196

-42.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.77

$1.14 ₩1,526

-78.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.51 ₩2,012

-9.27%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

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

$55.7 ₱3,508

$218 ₩290.2K

-74.40%

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

$8.09 ₱510

$35.15 ₩46.9K

-76.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 ₱1,730

$21.29 ₩28.4K

28.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.71 ₱1,493

$58.1 ₩77.5K

-59.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 ₱206

$11.31 ₩15.1K

-71.00%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₱9,997

$901 ₩1.2M

-82.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ₱8,128

$612 ₩816.3K

-78.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$323 ₱20.3K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-87.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ₱12.8K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-94.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

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

Last update for Tagum City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tagum City

$129 29.5%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 374% $483

Eating Out

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 86% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagum City

$91 20.9%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 200% $183

Groceries & Markets

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 449% $390

Sport & Entertainment

Tagum City

$30 6.9%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 167% $50

Getting Around

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 5633% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Tagum City

- * 0%

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $159 in Tagum City 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 1698% 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 $13.00 in Tagum City versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $87.0 vs $477 – making Tagum City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

04:31 4:31 AM

1 h ahead of Tagum City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,202

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 = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tagum City Seoul 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tagum City
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

Tagum City vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 310% more than Tagum 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 $656 per month in Tagum City 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 Tagum City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $437 in Tagum City and $1,794 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 310%.

Groceries cost about 449% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tagum City, where all-in costs run around $437, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tagum City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tagum 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 Tagum 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.