Manila vs Seoul - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated: October 14, 2025

	Manila	Seoul
🚶 Cost of living one person	$790	$1383
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family	$1963	$3421
🏠 One person rent	$379	$635
🏘️ Family rent	$637	$1111
🍽️ Food expenses	$287	$484
🚐 Transport expenses	$50.3	$152
💳 Monthly salary after tax	$386	$1954
😷 Air quality	Moderate	Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity	11 km	18 km
🎓 Higher education	74	100
😀 Quality of life	65	93
🏙️ Population	1.85M	9.67M

The cost of living in Manila is 43% less expensive than in Seoul. Cities ranked 6703rd and 4296th ($790 vs $1383) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 5th and 2nd in the Philippines and South Korea, respectively. Check the Philippines vs South Korea comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.5 months in Manila compared to 1.4 months in Seoul. Manila ranked 3rd best city to live in the Philippines vs Seoul ranked 2nd in South Korea, while ranked 5220th and 90th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Manila vs Seoul infographic

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Prices in Manila vs Seoul

Prices for goods and services in Manila and Seoul are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

	Manila	Seoul
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu	$5.15	$7.28
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2	$24.2	$43.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's	$4.27	$5.99
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.96	$3.46
☕ Cappuccino	$2.7	$3.69
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz	$0.97	$1.66
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$458	$764
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$232	$460
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$815	$1372
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$416	$841
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$74.3	$97.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$114	$147
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited	$27.5	$16.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years	7.47%	3.97%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$3756	$20727
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$2382	$10845
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket	$0.6	$1.04
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport	$13.2	$44.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi	$3.9	$9.78
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal	$1.06	$1.15
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt	$2.1	$2.01
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb	$1.22	$2.68
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.04	$2.55
🥚 Eggs, x12	$2.27	$3.27
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$7.83	$14.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$5.01	$9.59
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$7.84	$33
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.97	$7.35
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.83	$3.34
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$3.61	$5.41
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.3	$5.24
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.56	$3.68
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$3.01	$2.95
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt	$0.42	$0.8
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz	$1.55	$1.8
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle	$9.04	$17.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.44	$1.97
🚬 Cigarette pack	$3.2	$3.12
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week	$5.39	$3.56
🧴 Hair Shampoo	$3.16	$3.98
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls	$1.74	$3.5
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube	$1.65	$1.3
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month	$40.3	$47.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person	$7.44	$10
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit	$16.1	$62.2
💇 Haircut, simple	$5.63	$16.7
👖 Brand Jeans	$46	$49.6
👟 Brand Sneakers	$80	$67.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month	$139	$357
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year	$16980	$21347

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Manila

Distance	City	Cost of living
5.7 km or 3.5 mi	Pasay	$785
6.1 km or 3.8 mi	Caloocan	$568
6.2 km or 3.9 mi	Mandaluyong	$742
7.3 km or 4.6 mi	Quezon	$717
7.7 km or 4.8 mi	Malabon	$674
7.9 km or 4.9 mi	Makati	$1009
8.8 km or 5.4 mi	Navotas	$657
12 km or 7.2 mi	Valenzuela	$432
12 km or 7.2 mi	Pasig	$642
12 km or 7.3 mi	Taguig	$807
15 km or 9 mi	Marikina	$555
15 km or 9.3 mi	Bacoor	$540
15 km or 9.3 mi	Paranaque	$651
15 km or 9.5 mi	Cainta	$760
16 km or 9.7 mi	Meycauayan	$561
16 km or 10 mi	Las Pinas	$628
19 km or 12 mi	Imus	$536
21 km or 13 mi	Antipolo	$570
25 km or 15 mi	Muntinlupa	$692
25 km or 16 mi	San Jose del Monte	$511
26 km or 16 mi	General Trias	$519
28 km or 17 mi	San Pedro	$617
28 km or 17 mi	Binangonan	$525
30 km or 19 mi	Dasmarinas	$414
31 km or 19 mi	Binan	$613
33 km or 20 mi	Malolos	$630
34 km or 21 mi	Santa Rosa	$575
37 km or 23 mi	Trece Martires	$542
39 km or 24 mi	Cabuyao	$616
47 km or 29 mi	Calamba	$489
58 km or 36 mi	San Fernando	$609
60 km or 37 mi	Tanauan	$535
61 km or 38 mi	Santo Tomas	$531
69 km or 43 mi	San Pablo	$477
74 km or 46 mi	Angeles	$624
75 km or 47 mi	Lipa	$425
79 km or 49 mi	Olongapo	$471
81 km or 50 mi	Mabalacat	$598
94 km or 59 mi	Batangas	$532
99 km or 61 mi	Cabanatuan	$448

Cities near Seoul

Distance	City	Cost of living
13 km or 7.9 mi	Guri	$1134
17 km or 10 mi	Goyang	$1097
17 km or 10 mi	Gwangmyeong	$1090
17 km or 11 mi	Gwacheon	$1078
19 km or 12 mi	Uijeongbu	$918
20 km or 12 mi	Hanam	$1178
20 km or 12 mi	Namyangju	$1138
20 km or 13 mi	Seongnam	$1435
21 km or 13 mi	Siheung	$1307
21 km or 13 mi	Bucheon	$1175
22 km or 14 mi	Anyang	$1004
23 km or 14 mi	Yangju	$948
24 km or 15 mi	Gunpo	$1112
26 km or 16 mi	Gimpo	$1098
27 km or 17 mi	Uiwang	$1080
30 km or 19 mi	Gwangju	$1196
32 km or 20 mi	Paju	$1065
33 km or 20 mi	Ansan	$1049
33 km or 21 mi	Suwon	$1066
34 km or 21 mi	Incheon	$1088
37 km or 23 mi	Dongducheon	$1023
39 km or 24 mi	Pocheon	$1028
42 km or 26 mi	Yongin	$1120
47 km or 29 mi	Hwaseong	$1098
49 km or 31 mi	Osan	$1076
52 km or 32 mi	Icheon	$1171
58 km or 36 mi	Kaesong	$1568
65 km or 40 mi	Yeoju	$1079
66 km or 41 mi	Pyeongtaek	$1141
69 km or 43 mi	Anseong	$1078
72 km or 45 mi	Chuncheon	$874
83 km or 52 mi	Dangjin	$1059
86 km or 53 mi	Wonju	$1110
87 km or 54 mi	Cheonan	$1153
101 km or 63 mi	Seosan	$1068
107 km or 66 mi	Chungju	$920
114 km or 71 mi	Cheongju	$924
118 km or 73 mi	Jecheon	$1037
123 km or 77 mi	Haeju	$1565
124 km or 77 mi	Sejong	$1020