Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,848 a month against $2,543 in Forbes, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
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Forbes Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,543

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,543 in Forbes versus $1,848 in Seoul.

Forbes $2,543
Seoul $1,848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,751 in Forbes versus $2,986 in Seoul.

Forbes $3,751
Seoul $2,986

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,958 in Forbes versus $4,125 in Seoul.

Forbes $4,958
Seoul $4,125

Living in Forbes is roughly 38% more expensive than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Forbes 87% above, Seoul 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 A$22.61

$9.05 ₩12.1K

75.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.9 A$135

$68.3 ₩91.8K

38.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 A$16.07

$7.35 ₩9,868

53.88%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$5.00

$4.12 ₩5,530

-14.56%

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

$2.99 A$4.24

$1.64 ₩2,207

82.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.37

$0.81 ₩1,083

192.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 A$9.92

$3.71 ₩4,980

88.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 A$10.52

$6.13 ₩8,236

20.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 A$2.41

$2.04 ₩2,742

-17.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 A$3.44

$3.21 ₩4,311

-24.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.04

$4.39 ₩5,892

-51.25%

Eggs

$5.00 A$7.10

$3.59 ₩4,822

39.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 A$14.44

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-44.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.53

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-9.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 A$19.49

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-48.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 A$5.37

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-51.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.27

$3.53 ₩4,739

-14.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 A$5.05

$5.70 ₩7,660

-37.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.99

$6.18 ₩8,296

-20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.55

$3.76 ₩5,053

-33.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.63

$2.51 ₩3,373

1.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.24

$2.82 ₩3,780

-19.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.11 ₩1,490

30.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.43 A$66.0

$3.30 ₩4,432

1306.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.57

$18.64 ₩25.0K

-33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.75 A$6.75

$2.42 ₩3,248

96.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 A$8.24

$3.36 ₩4,509

72.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.78

$1.19 ₩1,600

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$111

$46.13 ₩61.9K

70.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 A$5.26

$3.55 ₩4,770

4.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 A$2.45

$0.60 ₩810

186.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.70 A$64.9

$9.08 ₩12.2K

403.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.78

$1.44 ₩1,931

-13.19%

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

$33.8K A$48.1K

$30.3K ₩40.6M

11.75%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$28.9K ₩38.8M

-2.59%

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

$195 A$277

$213 ₩285.4K

-8.30%

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

$23.66 A$33.62

$35.83 ₩48.1K

-33.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.8

$21.39 ₩28.7K

149.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 A$84.0

$61.6 ₩82.8K

-4.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 A$28.02

$16.41 ₩22.0K

20.17%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 A$17.13

$11.42 ₩15.3K

5.52%

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

$2,301 A$3,269

$1,948 ₩2.6M

18.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K A$30.3K

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-6.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$115

$59.8 ₩80.3K

34.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 A$80.6

$34.19 ₩45.9K

65.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$166

$66.0 ₩88.6K

76.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$176

$81.9 ₩110.0K

51.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 A$2,213

$924 ₩1.2M

68.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,816

$659 ₩885.1K

93.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 A$3,499

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-18.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 A$2,901

$1,440 ₩1.9M

41.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,228 A$7,428

$27.2K ₩36.5M

-80.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,146 A$7,312

$11.3K ₩15.2M

-54.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

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 Forbes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Forbes

$1.3K 50.3%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 48.4% $619

Groceries & Markets

Forbes

$364 14.3%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 32.9% $120

Eating Out

Forbes

$275 10.8%

Seoul

$184 10% 32.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forbes

$272 10.7%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 0.8% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Forbes

$170 6.7%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 36% $61

Getting Around

Forbes

$101 4%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 43.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Forbes

$83 3.3%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 1.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,558 in Forbes and $924 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Forbes vs $68 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $483, with Forbes cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forbes

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

21:40 9:40 PM

2 h behind Forbes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,481

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,494 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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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

Forbes vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Forbes and Seoul differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,543 vs $1,848 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,814 in Forbes and $2,771 in Seoul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,558 in Forbes versus $924 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,543 per month in Forbes versus $1,848 in Seoul – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 41% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

For families, Seoul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Forbes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Forbes 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.