Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Icheon and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Icheon: $1,595 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,595

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,595 per month in Icheon vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Icheon $1,595
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Icheon vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Icheon $2,043
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Icheon vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Icheon $2,491
Melbourne $5,650

Icheon is about 43% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Icheon and Melbourne sit above the global median – Icheon by 18%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 ₩8,267

$17.43 A$25.08

-64.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.38 ₩64.5K

$84.6 A$122

-42.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 ₩8,834

$12.46 A$17.92

-46.87%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₩4,941

$4.11 A$5.91

-9.98%

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

$1.33 ₩1,780

$3.06 A$4.40

-56.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,558

$2.52 A$3.62

-53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 ₩5,070

$9.80 A$14.10

-61.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 ₩5,626

$8.57 A$12.33

-50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ₩2,980

$1.48 A$2.14

50.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 ₩4,361

$2.94 A$4.23

11.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,278

$2.66 A$3.82

20.68%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,662

$5.54 A$7.97

-50.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 ₩14.6K

$10.51 A$15.13

4.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₩14.1K

$9.65 A$13.89

9.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.36 ₩33.8K

$15.22 A$21.91

66.62%

Apples (1kg)

$11.33 ₩15.1K

$3.99 A$5.75

183.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,748

$3.02 A$4.34

17.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.13 ₩10.8K

$3.10 A$4.46

162.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 ₩7,876

$4.82 A$6.93

22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$6.05 ₩8,071

$3.03 A$4.36

99.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,505

$2.44 A$3.52

38.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 ₩3,660

$2.46 A$3.54

11.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,707

$1.63 A$2.34

-21.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,393

$44.07 A$63.4

-92.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 ₩24.9K

$12.70 A$18.28

46.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₩3,256

$5.54 A$7.97

-55.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 ₩4,561

$5.23 A$7.52

-34.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,471

$3.74 A$5.38

-70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,853

$4.51 A$6.50

-19.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ₩1,031

$1.36 A$1.96

-43.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.77 ₩22.4K

$30.45 A$43.81

-44.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,827

$1.47 A$2.12

-6.80%

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

$29.9K ₩39.9M

$29.0K A$41.7K

3.19%

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

$33.4K ₩44.6M

$26.5K A$38.1K

26.14%

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

$200 ₩266.2K

$234 A$336

-14.61%

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

$36.02 ₩48.1K

$27.93 A$40.19

28.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₩36.3K

$55.7 A$80.2

-51.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.45 ₩29.9K

$49.40 A$71.1

-54.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$11.28 ₩15.1K

$15.09 A$21.72

-25.25%

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

$642 ₩856.1K

$2,371 A$3,412

-72.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ₩29.5M

$30.2K A$43.5K

-26.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩141.7K

$80.0 A$115

32.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 ₩87.4K

$50.7 A$73.0

29.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩125.2K

$121 A$174

-22.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.2K

$130 A$188

-1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₩998.0K

$1,759 A$2,531

-57.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ₩611.9K

$1,390 A$2,000

-67.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,317 ₩3.1M

$4,383 A$6,307

-47.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

5.9

-33.90%

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

Last update for Icheon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Icheon

$488 30.6%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 21.4% $104

Accommodation & Living

Icheon

$459 28.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 203% $931

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Icheon

$263 16.5%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 20.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Icheon

$178 11.1%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 3.3% $5.8

Eating Out

Icheon

$151 9.5%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 108% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Icheon

$45 2.8%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 76.8% $35

Getting Around

Icheon

$12 * 0.8%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 1275% $152

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $748 in Icheon 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 89% 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 Icheon versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $488 in Icheon vs $384 in Melbourne – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Icheon

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

05:47 5:47 AM

2 h ahead of Icheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

213,059

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 →

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Between locations

Icheon Melbourne 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Icheon
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

Icheon vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,393 per month in Icheon 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 Icheon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Icheon and $85.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 27% cheaper in Melbourne – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Icheon, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Icheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Icheon – 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 Icheon. 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.