Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and South Korea Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and South Korea

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,181 per month in Australia vs $1,429 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $2,249 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $3,068 in South Korea, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 53% higher than in South Korea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and South Korea are pricier than the global median – Australia by 64%, South Korea by 7%.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,595–$2,799) than in South Korea ($1,229–$1,770), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.93

$7.19 ₩10.4K

122.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$113

$43.49 ₩62.8K

81.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.91

$5.71 ₩8,248

69.53%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.15

$3.67 ₩5,303

-2.45%

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

$2.56 A$3.68

$1.57 ₩2,272

63.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.19

$0.78 ₩1,126

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$9.10

$3.63 ₩5,243

74.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.98

$4.89 ₩7,060

42.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$2.20 ₩3,181

-29.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.63

$3.06 ₩4,422

-17.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.87

$3.10 ₩4,479

-35.48%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.12

$2.95 ₩4,263

44.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.57

$13.86 ₩20.0K

-36.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.83

$9.43 ₩13.6K

-12.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.33

$30.00 ₩43.3K

-52.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$7.89 ₩11.4K

-58.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.04

$3.56 ₩5,137

-21.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.31

$5.84 ₩8,432

-48.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.19

$6.33 ₩9,136

-31.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.67

$3.80 ₩5,490

-32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.10

$2.94 ₩4,243

-26.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.19

$2.46 ₩3,552

-9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.20

$1.20 ₩1,739

27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.93

$3.34 ₩4,819

836.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.24

$14.93 ₩21.6K

-5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.38

$2.03 ₩2,930

118.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.05

$2.93 ₩4,235

67.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.24

$1.09 ₩1,572

170.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$138

$46.70 ₩67.4K

105.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$5.01

$3.22 ₩4,644

8.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.64

$0.57 ₩827

222.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$53.5

$8.75 ₩12.6K

325.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.68

$1.19 ₩1,718

-1.68%

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

$28.7K A$41.3K

$27.4K ₩39.6M

4.87%

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

$22.5K A$32.3K

$24.3K ₩35.1M

-7.73%

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

$173 A$249

$169 ₩243.3K

2.87%

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

$26.62 A$38.23

$41.27 ₩59.6K

-35.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$76.2

$22.12 ₩31.9K

139.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$67.3

$53.1 ₩76.6K

-11.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.53

$20.08 ₩29.0K

-18.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.48

$10.90 ₩15.7K

24.40%

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

$1,571 A$2,256

$383 ₩552.2K

310.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$23.2K ₩33.5M

-45.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$104

$57.6 ₩83.1K

25.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$74.1

$48.05 ₩69.4K

7.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$145

$80.3 ₩116.0K

25.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$155

$109 ₩157.8K

-1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$2,008

$614 ₩885.6K

127.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,560

$408 ₩588.9K

166.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,263

$1,580 ₩2.3M

43.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,515

$977 ₩1.4M

79.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.4K

$14.4K ₩20.8M

-44.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,587

$7,535 ₩10.9M

-20.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,822

$2,161 ₩3.1M

87.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.2

51.19%

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

Last update for Australia: July 28, 2026

Last update for South Korea: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $457 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $964 in Seoul.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $1,951 in South Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 169% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 93% more in Australia.

Public transport is 458% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 95% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs South Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 47% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in South Korea, contributing to the overall 47% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Korea, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

South Korea is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.