Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,287 in Carlton, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,287

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,287 in Carlton versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Carlton $2,287
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,321 in Carlton versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Carlton $3,321
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,355 in Carlton versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Carlton $4,355
Seoul $3,931

Living in Carlton is roughly 27% more expensive than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlton 69% above, Seoul 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 A$25.48

$8.80 ₩11.7K

101.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 A$98.9

$68.4 ₩90.9K

0.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 A$14.34

$7.54 ₩10.0K

32.10%

Cappuccino

$2.92 A$4.21

$4.23 ₩5,624

-30.97%

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

$2.63 A$3.78

$1.63 ₩2,167

61.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$3.06

$0.74 ₩985

187.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 A$9.73

$3.64 ₩4,843

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 A$9.41

$6.15 ₩8,175

6.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.90

$2.01 ₩2,679

-34.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 A$2.95

$3.13 ₩4,164

-34.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 A$1.90

$4.32 ₩5,744

-69.44%

Eggs

$3.20 A$4.60

$3.61 ₩4,794

-11.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 A$14.79

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-42.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 A$14.38

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 A$21.98

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-40.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-56.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.05

$3.38 ₩4,499

-16.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.60

$5.81 ₩7,723

-44.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 A$6.44

$6.41 ₩8,520

-30.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.54

$3.75 ₩4,983

-34.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.19

$2.54 ₩3,375

-12.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 A$3.07

$2.84 ₩3,782

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 A$1.29

$1.11 ₩1,472

-18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.25 A$36.33

$3.35 ₩4,455

653.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 A$15.28

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-42.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.74 A$8.26

$2.40 ₩3,185

139.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$3.37 ₩4,480

51.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 A$4.38

$1.14 ₩1,521

167.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 A$116

$46.11 ₩61.3K

75.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.36

$3.49 ₩4,643

6.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 A$1.82

$0.63 ₩840

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.18 A$37.68

$8.86 ₩11.8K

195.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.51 ₩2,005

-9.93%

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

$18.4K A$26.5K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-37.10%

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

$13.8K A$19.9K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-50.98%

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

$89.5 A$129

$218 ₩289.2K

-58.84%

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

$27.31 A$39.31

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-22.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.80 A$65.9

$21.29 ₩28.3K

115.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.60 A$45.47

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-45.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.32 A$24.92

$16.10 ₩21.4K

7.58%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 A$18.64

$11.31 ₩15.0K

14.59%

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

$2,061 A$2,965

$1,948 ₩2.6M

5.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-44.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 A$114

$57.0 ₩75.8K

38.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.37 A$71.1

$33.39 ₩44.4K

47.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 A$101

$71.5 ₩95.0K

-2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$82.5 ₩109.7K

62.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$2,001

$901 ₩1.2M

54.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 A$1,732

$612 ₩813.5K

96.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 A$3,093

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-14.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 A$2,631

$1,266 ₩1.7M

44.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,647 A$8,126

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-80.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,209 A$7,496

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-56.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,717 A$8,227

$3,650 ₩4.9M

56.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.08

44.61%

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

Last update for Carlton: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Carlton

$1.2K 52.6%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 49.2% $592

Groceries & Markets

Carlton

$338 14.8%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 40.9% $138

Eating Out

Carlton

$273 11.9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 32.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlton

$163 7.1%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 68.4% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Carlton

$150 6.5%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 26.5% $40

Getting Around

Carlton

$103 4.5%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 44.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Carlton

$58 2.5%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 40.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Carlton and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 57% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Carlton vs $68.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $338 vs $477, with Carlton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Carlton

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

2 h behind Carlton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,001

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 = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Carlton Seoul 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlton
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

Carlton vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Seoul differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,287 vs $1,794 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Carlton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,391 in Carlton versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,061 in Carlton versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Carlton pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,287 in Carlton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Carlton. 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, Carlton 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 27% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.