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 $2,547 per month in Australia vs $1,391 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,678 per month in Australia vs $2,185 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,808 per month in Australia vs $2,978 in South Korea, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 83% 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 85%, South Korea by 1%.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,218–$3,352) than in South Korea ($1,043–$1,783), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 A$24.73

$7.51 ₩10.1K

136.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 A$121

$44.70 ₩59.9K

94.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$15.82

$6.66 ₩8,926

70.42%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.57

$3.98 ₩5,343

0.25%

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

$2.97 A$4.14

$1.64 ₩2,195

81.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.50

$0.78 ₩1,047

221.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 A$10.80

$3.69 ₩4,946

110.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 A$11.25

$4.45 ₩5,962

81.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.46

$2.18 ₩2,927

-19.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$4.00

$2.88 ₩3,857

-0.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.31

$3.36 ₩4,506

-29.46%

Eggs

$5.11 A$7.13

$3.21 ₩4,308

59.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 A$14.13

$14.62 ₩19.6K

-30.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 A$13.35

$8.88 ₩11.9K

7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 A$21.74

$24.65 ₩33.1K

-36.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.34

$8.27 ₩11.1K

-53.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.36

$3.44 ₩4,616

-9.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.67

$6.32 ₩8,478

-46.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.80

$5.87 ₩7,866

-16.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.07

$3.93 ₩5,264

-25.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.29

$2.80 ₩3,751

-15.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.43

$2.69 ₩3,610

-8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.38

$1.17 ₩1,571

45.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.46 A$55.0

$3.27 ₩4,384

1106.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 A$20.48

$14.71 ₩19.7K

-0.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.07

$2.14 ₩2,870

136.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.48

$2.99 ₩4,011

79.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$3.96

$1.08 ₩1,450

162.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 A$136

$45.55 ₩61.1K

113.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$4.96

$3.42 ₩4,588

4.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 A$2.34

$0.65 ₩867

158.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.94 A$57.1

$8.69 ₩11.7K

371.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.88

$1.32 ₩1,774

2.27%

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

$29.1K A$40.5K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-2.49%

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

$29.5K A$41.1K

$30.2K ₩40.4M

-2.25%

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

$207 A$289

$200 ₩268.7K

3.56%

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

$29.34 A$40.91

$39.60 ₩53.1K

-25.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 A$83.7

$22.91 ₩30.7K

161.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$82.6

$56.2 ₩75.4K

5.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 A$28.27

$16.03 ₩21.5K

26.51%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 A$22.36

$11.10 ₩14.9K

44.50%

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

$2,194 A$3,059

$912 ₩1.2M

140.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.0K

$23.0K ₩30.8M

-18.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 A$113

$56.5 ₩75.8K

43.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 A$79.3

$43.05 ₩57.7K

32.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$165

$77.7 ₩104.2K

52.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$176

$95.8 ₩128.4K

31.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 A$2,282

$587 ₩786.7K

179.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 A$1,821

$406 ₩544.2K

221.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 A$3,609

$1,536 ₩2.1M

68.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 A$2,737

$900 ₩1.2M

118.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,394 A$11.7K

$16.0K ₩21.4M

-47.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,140 A$8,560

$8,144 ₩10.9M

-24.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,670

$2,365 ₩3.2M

71.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

4.21

40.86%

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

Last update for Australia: September 6, 2026

Last update for South Korea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,426 in Australia vs $430 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,845 in Canberra and $891 in Seoul.

Average salary: $3,945 in Australia vs $2,116 in South Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 232% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 107% more in Australia.

Public transport is 567% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 86% higher 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 62% 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 62% 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.