Cost of Living Comparison Between Geelong and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between Geelong and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,674 in Geelong versus $1,752 in Seoul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,624 in Geelong versus $2,801 in Seoul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,573 in Geelong versus $3,850 in Seoul.

Living in Geelong is roughly 53% more expensive than in Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geelong 95% above, Seoul 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 A$24.86

$9.76 ₩13.2K

83.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 A$121

$65.6 ₩89.0K

33.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 A$15.01

$7.14 ₩9,685

51.54%

Cappuccino

$3.78 A$5.24

$4.02 ₩5,453

-5.97%

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

$2.67 A$3.71

$1.64 ₩2,218

62.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.15

$0.83 ₩1,119

173.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.55 A$9.10

$3.59 ₩4,865

82.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 A$8.09

$5.73 ₩7,772

1.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.36

$2.11 ₩2,855

-19.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 A$3.16

$3.11 ₩4,217

-26.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 A$2.06

$4.25 ₩5,764

-65.18%

Eggs

$3.94 A$5.47

$3.38 ₩4,579

16.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.00

$17.01 ₩23.1K

-49.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 A$13.18

$10.06 ₩13.6K

-5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 A$22.08

$24.88 ₩33.7K

-36.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 A$4.89

$7.36 ₩9,975

-52.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.22

$3.47 ₩4,706

-12.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.11

$5.55 ₩7,520

-46.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.64

$6.26 ₩8,482

-46.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.30

$3.65 ₩4,942

-15.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.09

$2.43 ₩3,298

-8.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.04

$2.73 ₩3,697

-19.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.36

$1.08 ₩1,464

57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.43 A$47.80

$3.23 ₩4,386

965.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.30 A$17.07

$18.34 ₩24.9K

-32.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.73 A$5.17

$2.36 ₩3,202

58.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 A$4.21

$3.12 ₩4,236

-2.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.73 A$10.73

$1.16 ₩1,577

566.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 A$180

$44.79 ₩60.7K

189.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 A$5.88

$3.56 ₩4,821

19.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$1.95

$0.58 ₩793

143.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.07 A$43.14

$8.88 ₩12.0K

249.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.84

$1.45 ₩1,964

-8.28%

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

$29.1K A$40.4K

$29.1K ₩39.4M

-0.04%

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

$27.7K A$38.5K

$28.1K ₩38.1M

-1.36%

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

$158 A$219

$196 ₩266.4K

-19.78%

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

$26.36 A$36.59

$34.49 ₩46.8K

-23.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$81.7

$19.80 ₩26.8K

197.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 A$81.4

$57.0 ₩77.3K

2.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.13 A$22.39

$16.05 ₩21.8K

0.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 A$18.21

$11.04 ₩15.0K

18.75%

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

$2,220 A$3,082

$1,891 ₩2.6M

17.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K A$45.8K

$22.0K ₩29.9M

49.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$113

$56.3 ₩76.4K

44.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 A$71.8

$32.45 ₩44.0K

59.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 A$132

$68.2 ₩92.5K

39.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$79.4 ₩107.7K

32.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 A$1,860

$865 ₩1.2M

54.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 A$1,979

$601 ₩814.8K

137.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 A$2,522

$2,497 ₩3.4M

-27.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 A$2,149

$1,225 ₩1.7M

26.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,704 A$9,306

$28.2K ₩38.2M

-76.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,446 A$7,561

$11.3K ₩15.4M

-51.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,126 A$4,339

$3,486 ₩4.7M

-10.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

4.08

43.38%

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

Last update for Geelong: August 31, 2026

Last update for Seoul: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,340 in Geelong and $865 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87.0 in Geelong vs $66.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $339 vs $464, with Geelong cheaper for home cooking.

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

Geelong vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geelong and Seoul differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($2,674 vs $1,752 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,340 in Geelong versus $865 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,674 per month in Geelong versus $1,752 in Seoul – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 189% less than in Geelong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,752 in Seoul versus $2,674 in Geelong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Geelong. 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, Geelong 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 53% less than in Geelong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.