Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,486 in Albany, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Albany
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Albany Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,486

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,486 in Albany versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Albany $2,486
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,609 in Albany versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Albany $3,609
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,732 in Albany versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Albany $4,732
Seoul $3,931

Living in Albany is roughly 39% more expensive than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany 84% above, Seoul 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.51 A$28.07

$8.80 ₩11.7K

121.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$122

$68.4 ₩91.2K

24.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 A$14.54

$7.54 ₩10.1K

34.08%

Cappuccino

$4.33 A$6.22

$4.23 ₩5,644

2.36%

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

$2.49 A$3.58

$1.63 ₩2,175

52.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 A$2.92

$0.74 ₩988

174.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.50 A$12.24

$3.64 ₩4,860

133.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 A$10.87

$6.15 ₩8,203

22.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.23

$2.01 ₩2,688

-22.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 A$3.88

$3.13 ₩4,178

-14.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.08

$4.32 ₩5,764

-50.46%

Eggs

$5.19 A$7.47

$3.61 ₩4,810

43.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 A$15.05

$17.83 ₩23.8K

-41.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.41

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-10.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 A$18.18

$25.80 ₩34.4K

-51.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-46.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.51

$3.38 ₩4,514

-7.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 A$5.39

$5.81 ₩7,750

-35.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 A$6.52

$6.41 ₩8,549

-29.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 A$3.90

$3.75 ₩5,000

-27.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.38

$2.54 ₩3,387

-7.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$3.05

$2.84 ₩3,796

-25.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.99

$1.11 ₩1,477

24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.14 A$60.6

$3.35 ₩4,470

1157.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 A$21.13

$18.49 ₩24.7K

-20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.40

$2.40 ₩3,196

85.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 A$8.53

$3.37 ₩4,495

75.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.25

$1.14 ₩1,526

158.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 A$115

$46.11 ₩61.5K

72.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 A$4.29

$3.49 ₩4,660

-14.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.63 ₩843

147.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.56 A$51.2

$8.86 ₩11.8K

301.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.71

$1.51 ₩2,012

-21.19%

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

$25.6K A$36.9K

$29.3K ₩39.1M

-12.50%

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

$33.5K A$48.1K

$28.2K ₩37.6M

18.59%

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

$202 A$290

$218 ₩290.2K

-7.36%

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

$27.79 A$39.99

$35.15 ₩46.9K

-20.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.77 A$70.2

$21.29 ₩28.4K

129.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 A$76.9

$58.1 ₩77.5K

-7.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 A$25.03

$16.10 ₩21.5K

8.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 A$21.43

$11.31 ₩15.1K

31.74%

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

$2,234 A$3,215

$1,948 ₩2.6M

14.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$29.3K

$22.9K ₩30.5M

-10.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.9 A$112

$57.0 ₩76.1K

36.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$72.5

$33.39 ₩44.5K

50.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$167

$71.5 ₩95.4K

62.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

$82.5 ₩110.1K

35.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 A$1,718

$901 ₩1.2M

32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 A$1,701

$612 ₩816.3K

93.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 A$3,139

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-13.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 A$2,574

$1,266 ₩1.7M

41.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,564 A$8,006

$29.4K ₩39.3M

-81.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,761 A$6,851

$11.9K ₩15.9M

-60.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,598 A$3,738

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-28.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

4.08

43.14%

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

Last update for Albany: 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

Albany

$1.2K 47.6%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 48.2% $570

Groceries & Markets

Albany

$366 14.7%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 30.4% $111

Eating Out

Albany

$314 12.6%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 41.5% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany

$278 11.2%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 1.5% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Albany

$160 6.4%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 31.3% $50

Getting Around

Albany

$102 4.1%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 44% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Albany

$83 3.4%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 3.1% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Albany and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Albany vs $68.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $477, with Albany cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Albany

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

23:43 11:43 PM

1 h ahead of Albany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,128

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 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 AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Albany Seoul 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Albany vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Albany. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,194 in Albany versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,486 per month in Albany versus $1,794 in Seoul – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 73% less than in Albany. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,486 in Albany, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Albany. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Albany and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Albany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.