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 $2,184 per month in Australia vs $1,425 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $2,249 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $3,073 in South Korea, rent included.

Australia costs about 53% more than 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 63%, South Korea by 6%.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,592–$2,842) than South Korea ($1,246–$1,761), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.33

$7.18 ₩10.9K

128.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$111

$43.22 ₩65.6K

80.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.11

$5.82 ₩8,838

70.79%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.10

$3.83 ₩5,815

-6.01%

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

$2.68 A$3.80

$1.58 ₩2,398

69.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.03

$0.78 ₩1,184

174.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.26

$3.64 ₩5,532

79.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$10.00

$4.72 ₩7,166

49.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.24

$2.24 ₩3,398

-29.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$3.14 ₩4,766

-19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.94

$3.05 ₩4,634

-32.13%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.11

$3.11 ₩4,717

38.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.81

$14.06 ₩21.3K

-35.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.13

$9.59 ₩14.6K

-10.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.80

$30.17 ₩45.8K

-53.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.51

$8.02 ₩12.2K

-60.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.03

$3.52 ₩5,341

-19.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.18

$5.81 ₩8,812

-49.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.29

$6.29 ₩9,551

-29.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.48

$3.68 ₩5,585

-33.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$2.96 ₩4,493

-26.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.25

$2.52 ₩3,818

-9.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.19 ₩1,810

31.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.79

$3.29 ₩4,992

838.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.94

$16.53 ₩25.1K

-14.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.45

$2.11 ₩3,199

115.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.83

$2.98 ₩4,516

61.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.07

$1.07 ₩1,629

168.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$136

$46.80 ₩71.0K

104.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.17

$3.36 ₩5,107

8.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.50

$0.58 ₩875

203.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.3

$8.73 ₩13.3K

338.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$1.24 ₩1,882

-7.26%

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

$28.4K A$40.3K

$27.9K ₩42.4M

1.67%

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

$23.0K A$32.6K

$24.1K ₩36.5M

-4.48%

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

$178 A$253

$168 ₩255.4K

5.76%

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

$26.46 A$37.53

$41.60 ₩63.1K

-36.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.8

$21.62 ₩32.8K

150.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$66.2

$52.0 ₩78.9K

-10.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.47

$19.62 ₩29.8K

-15.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.36

$11.10 ₩16.9K

22.97%

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

$1,575 A$2,234

$383 ₩581.3K

311.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.0K

$22.7K ₩34.4M

-44.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$58.6 ₩88.9K

22.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$72.1

$48.36 ₩73.4K

5.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$79.7 ₩121.0K

25.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$108 ₩164.2K

-0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,963

$626 ₩950.9K

120.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,568

$413 ₩627.5K

167.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,260

$1,569 ₩2.4M

46.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,451

$979 ₩1.5M

76.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$13.8K ₩21.0M

-44.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,808

$7,144 ₩10.8M

-22.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,677

$2,077 ₩3.2M

92.63%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for South Korea: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $457 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $962 in Seoul.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $1,931 in South Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 170% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 93% more in Australia.

Public transport is 458% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 99% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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.