Cost of Living Comparison Between Gold Coast and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between Gold Coast and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,525 in Gold Coast versus $1,742 in Seoul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,668 in Gold Coast versus $2,892 in Seoul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,811 in Gold Coast versus $4,043 in Seoul.

Living in Gold Coast is roughly 45% more expensive than Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gold Coast 88% above, Seoul 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.32 A$22.74

$8.59 ₩13.0K

89.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 A$133

$54.3 ₩82.2K

76.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 A$13.23

$6.30 ₩9,550

50.63%

Cappuccino

$3.39 A$4.72

$3.88 ₩5,886

-12.63%

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

$2.64 A$3.68

$1.72 ₩2,613

53.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.20

$0.86 ₩1,296

167.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.09

$3.60 ₩5,448

81.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 A$10.74

$5.94 ₩8,998

29.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.07

$2.22 ₩3,371

-32.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 A$3.62

$3.45 ₩5,228

-24.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.18

$3.13 ₩4,749

-27.16%

Eggs

$4.64 A$6.47

$3.19 ₩4,830

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 A$10.04

$14.21 ₩21.5K

-49.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.16

$10.99 ₩16.6K

-20.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 A$16.94

$34.74 ₩52.6K

-65.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.09

$7.97 ₩12.1K

-54.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.76

$3.46 ₩5,247

-21.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 A$5.25

$5.43 ₩8,229

-30.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 A$5.37

$6.69 ₩10.1K

-42.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.23

$3.80 ₩5,763

-38.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.33

$2.95 ₩4,465

-18.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 A$2.76

$2.63 ₩3,978

-24.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.32

$1.27 ₩1,924

88.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.91 A$44.47

$3.23 ₩4,893

887.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 A$20.73

$19.49 ₩29.5K

-23.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.36 A$8.86

$2.42 ₩3,668

162.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 A$9.12

$3.25 ₩4,921

101.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.52

$1.12 ₩1,691

125.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.0 A$72.5

$47.88 ₩72.6K

8.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 A$2.83

$3.56 ₩5,396

-42.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.04

$0.54 ₩818

170.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.94 A$47.29

$8.72 ₩13.2K

289.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.60

$1.25 ₩1,889

-8.00%

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

$28.8K A$40.2K

$28.3K ₩42.8M

2.06%

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

$22.3K A$31.0K

$25.3K ₩38.4M

-12.07%

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

$217 A$303

$161 ₩243.4K

35.34%

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

$31.82 A$44.34

$34.38 ₩52.1K

-7.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 A$76.6

$22.41 ₩34.0K

145.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.67 A$63.7

$57.0 ₩86.4K

-19.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 A$15.75

$23.23 ₩35.2K

-51.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 A$18.24

$11.19 ₩17.0K

16.98%

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

$2,121 A$2,956

$412 ₩624.5K

414.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,115 A$9,914

$23.7K ₩35.8M

-69.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 A$85.1

$58.7 ₩88.9K

4.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.61 A$67.7

$46.80 ₩70.9K

3.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 A$125

$78.3 ₩118.6K

14.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 A$169

$114 ₩173.0K

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 A$2,481

$957 ₩1.4M

86.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 A$1,828

$604 ₩914.5K

117.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,586 A$3,604

$2,580 ₩3.9M

0.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 A$2,827

$1,308 ₩2.0M

55.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,622 A$9,228

$18.2K ₩27.5M

-63.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,425 A$6,167

$9,223 ₩14.0M

-52.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,388 A$6,115

$3,095 ₩4.7M

41.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

4.14

57.97%

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

Last update for Gold Coast: May 31, 2026

Last update for Seoul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,780 in Gold Coast and $957 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gold Coast pays 42% 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: $96.0 in Gold Coast vs $54.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $362 vs $500, with Gold Coast 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

Gold Coast vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gold Coast and Seoul differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,525 vs $1,742 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Gold Coast pays 42% more on average, 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: $1,780 in Gold Coast versus $957 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 9% less than in Gold Coast. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,121 in Gold Coast versus $412 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,742 in Seoul versus $2,525 in Gold Coast, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Gold Coast. 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, Gold Coast 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 45% less than in Gold Coast. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.