Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeongju and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,228 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,228

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,228 per month in Gyeongju vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Gyeongju $1,228
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $1,988 per month in Gyeongju vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Gyeongju $1,988
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $2,748 per month in Gyeongju vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Gyeongju $2,748
Melbourne $5,650

Gyeongju is about 56% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Gyeongju sits 9% below the global median, while Melbourne is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 ₩10.2K

$17.43 A$25.08

-56.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.01 ₩64.1K

$84.6 A$122

-43.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,683

$12.46 A$17.92

-47.75%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₩4,026

$4.11 A$5.91

-26.52%

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

$1.10 ₩1,462

$3.06 A$4.40

-64.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₩471

$2.52 A$3.62

-86.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ₩3,454

$9.80 A$14.10

-73.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₩5,784

$8.57 A$12.33

-49.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₩3,084

$1.48 A$2.14

56.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 ₩3,291

$2.94 A$4.23

-15.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$2.66 A$3.82

17.67%

Eggs

$2.60 ₩3,463

$5.54 A$7.97

-53.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.8K

$10.51 A$15.13

5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 ₩13.8K

$9.65 A$13.89

7.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$15.22 A$21.91

21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 ₩6,006

$3.99 A$5.75

12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 ₩3,423

$3.02 A$4.34

-14.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 ₩5,093

$3.10 A$4.46

23.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 ₩4,895

$4.82 A$6.93

-23.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 ₩3,410

$3.03 A$4.36

-15.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 ₩2,907

$2.44 A$3.52

-10.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 ₩2,927

$2.46 A$3.54

-10.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,772

$1.63 A$2.34

-18.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,587

$44.07 A$63.4

-92.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 ₩19.7K

$12.70 A$18.28

16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,520

$5.54 A$7.97

-79.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,959

$5.23 A$7.52

-57.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,414

$3.74 A$5.38

-71.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ₩3,908

$4.51 A$6.50

-35.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₩1,050

$1.36 A$1.96

-41.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.57 ₩22.1K

$30.45 A$43.81

-45.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₩1,359

$1.47 A$2.12

-30.61%

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

$29.6K ₩39.4M

$29.0K A$41.7K

1.91%

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

$34.0K ₩45.4M

$26.5K A$38.1K

28.50%

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

$80.6 ₩107.5K

$234 A$336

-65.53%

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

$36.83 ₩49.1K

$27.93 A$40.19

31.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.20 ₩36.3K

$55.7 A$80.2

-51.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ₩69.5K

$49.40 A$71.1

5.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.96 ₩16.0K

$21.48 A$30.91

-44.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 ₩14.7K

$15.09 A$21.72

-26.84%

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

$639 ₩852.8K

$2,371 A$3,412

-73.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K ₩29.6M

$30.2K A$43.5K

-26.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 ₩60.5K

$80.0 A$115

-43.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 ₩29.9K

$50.7 A$73.0

-55.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 ₩122.3K

$121 A$174

-23.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₩171.4K

$130 A$188

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ₩638.1K

$1,759 A$2,531

-72.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₩488.4K

$1,390 A$2,000

-73.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 ₩1.6M

$3,494 A$5,027

-66.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₩976.1K

$2,493 A$3,588

-70.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,249 ₩9.7M

$6,926 A$9,967

4.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,416 ₩7.2M

$6,445 A$9,274

-15.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,841 ₩2.5M

$4,383 A$6,307

-58.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.9

-28.47%

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

Last update for Gyeongju: 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

Gyeongju

$366 29.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 280% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Gyeongju

$359 29.2%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeongju

$145 11.8%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 120% $173

Eating Out

Gyeongju

$144 11.7%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 118% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeongju

$130 10.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 32.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeongju

$74 6%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 7.2% $5.4

Getting Around

Gyeongju

$11 * 0.9%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 1376% $153

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Gyeongju versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 138% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Gyeongju versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $384 – making Gyeongju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

08:44 8:44 AM

2 h ahead of Gyeongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,156

5,031,195

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 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

Gyeongju Melbourne 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Gyeongju
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

Gyeongju vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 130%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,843 per month in Gyeongju and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gyeongju, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,228 in Gyeongju and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 130%.

Kindergarten costs $639 per month in Gyeongju and $2,371 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gyeongju, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Gyeongju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gyeongju – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gyeongju. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.