Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Gwangju: $1,329 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,329

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gwangju and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gwangju and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,329 in Gwangju versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Gwangju $1,329
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,038 in Gwangju versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Gwangju $2,038
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,747 in Gwangju versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Gwangju $2,747
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Gwangju costs roughly 53% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gwangju is 2% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.98 ₩7,948

$17.43 A$25.08

-65.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.07 ₩45.3K

$84.6 A$122

-59.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 ₩8,131

$12.46 A$17.92

-50.88%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₩4,317

$4.11 A$5.91

-20.92%

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

$1.60 ₩2,127

$3.06 A$4.40

-47.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩837

$2.52 A$3.62

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ₩3,297

$9.80 A$14.10

-74.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₩6,008

$8.57 A$12.33

-47.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₩2,269

$1.48 A$2.14

15.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₩3,153

$2.94 A$4.23

-19.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₩3,009

$2.66 A$3.82

-15.04%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,639

$5.54 A$7.97

-50.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 ₩11.8K

$10.51 A$15.13

-15.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 ₩10.6K

$9.65 A$13.89

-17.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$15.22 A$21.91

-26.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₩6,854

$3.99 A$5.75

29.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 ₩4,037

$3.02 A$4.34

0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,002

$3.10 A$4.46

21.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 ₩4,037

$4.82 A$6.93

-36.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 ₩4,747

$3.03 A$4.36

17.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,515

$2.44 A$3.52

-22.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ₩2,663

$2.46 A$3.54

-18.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₩1,791

$1.63 A$2.34

-17.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ₩4,584

$44.07 A$63.4

-92.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 ₩14.8K

$12.70 A$18.28

-12.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₩1,935

$5.54 A$7.97

-73.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₩3,024

$5.23 A$7.52

-56.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,410

$3.74 A$5.38

-71.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 ₩90.6K

$138 A$198

-50.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 ₩4,223

$4.51 A$6.50

-29.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₩821

$1.36 A$1.96

-54.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 ₩10.4K

$30.45 A$43.81

-74.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₩1,616

$1.47 A$2.12

-17.01%

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

$28.0K ₩37.3M

$29.0K A$41.7K

-3.34%

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

$35.3K ₩46.9M

$26.5K A$38.1K

33.32%

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

$210 ₩279.5K

$234 A$336

-10.03%

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

$43.76 ₩58.2K

$27.93 A$40.19

56.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.2K

$55.7 A$80.2

-62.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ₩68.7K

$49.40 A$71.1

4.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.71 ₩15.6K

$21.48 A$30.91

-45.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.25 ₩15.0K

$15.09 A$21.72

-25.45%

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

$300 ₩399.0K

$2,371 A$3,412

-87.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ₩23.8M

$30.2K A$43.5K

-40.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.74 ₩42.2K

$80.0 A$115

-60.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.01 ₩34.6K

$50.7 A$73.0

-48.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.6 ₩84.5K

$121 A$174

-47.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ₩117.8K

$130 A$188

-32.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₩657.9K

$1,759 A$2,531

-71.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ₩482.7K

$1,390 A$2,000

-73.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₩1.5M

$3,494 A$5,027

-66.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₩992.8K

$2,493 A$3,588

-70.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,812 ₩10.4M

$6,926 A$9,967

12.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,383 ₩8.5M

$6,445 A$9,274

-0.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,883 ₩3.8M

$4,383 A$6,307

-34.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

5.9

-38.98%

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

Last update for Gwangju: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gwangju

$363 27.3%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 283% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Gwangju

$308 23.2%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 24.7% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gwangju

$275 20.7%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 15.3% $42

Eating Out

Gwangju

$135 10.2%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 132% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Gwangju

$94 7.1%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 81.8% $77

Getting Around

Gwangju

$79 5.9%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 108% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Gwangju

$74 5.6%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 7.3% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Gwangju and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 52% 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: $34.00 in Gwangju vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $384 per month, with Gwangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

10:13 10:13 AM

2 h ahead of Gwangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,467,996

5,031,195

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

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).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gwangju Melbourne 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Gwangju
Melbourne

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

Gwangju vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Melbourne. 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: $495 in Gwangju versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,329 per month in Gwangju versus $2,821 in Melbourne – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,329 in Gwangju versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju 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, Gwangju and Melbourne 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 Gwangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.