Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Incheon and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Incheon: $1,373 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Incheon
Learn more

Incheon Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Incheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,373

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,373 per month in Incheon vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Incheon $1,373
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $2,106 per month in Incheon vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Incheon $2,106
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $2,839 per month in Incheon vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Incheon $2,839
Melbourne $5,650

Incheon is about 51% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Incheon and Melbourne sit above the global median – Incheon by 2%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 ₩7,902

$17.43 A$25.08

-66.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.73 ₩46.3K

$84.6 A$122

-58.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 ₩8,734

$12.46 A$17.92

-47.43%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩5,005

$4.11 A$5.91

-8.76%

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

$1.61 ₩2,154

$3.06 A$4.40

-47.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₩854

$2.52 A$3.62

-74.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 ₩4,560

$9.80 A$14.10

-65.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 ₩6,183

$8.57 A$12.33

-45.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,724

$1.48 A$2.14

37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,175

$2.94 A$4.23

6.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ₩3,120

$2.66 A$3.82

-12.03%

Eggs

$3.33 ₩4,442

$5.54 A$7.97

-39.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 ₩20.7K

$10.51 A$15.13

47.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 ₩10.5K

$9.65 A$13.89

-18.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.8K

$15.22 A$21.91

-27.33%

Apples (1kg)

$7.84 ₩10.5K

$3.99 A$5.75

96.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,221

$3.02 A$4.34

4.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 ₩7,555

$3.10 A$4.46

82.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.38 ₩8,510

$4.82 A$6.93

32.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,601

$3.03 A$4.36

13.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,224

$2.44 A$3.52

-0.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩2,778

$2.46 A$3.54

-15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,533

$1.63 A$2.34

-29.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,625

$44.07 A$63.4

-92.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.1K

$12.70 A$18.28

48.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₩2,942

$5.54 A$7.97

-60.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,321

$5.23 A$7.52

-38.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,417

$3.74 A$5.38

-71.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.53 ₩32.7K

$138 A$198

-82.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₩4,769

$4.51 A$6.50

-20.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩855

$1.36 A$1.96

-52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 ₩12.3K

$30.45 A$43.81

-69.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₩1,867

$1.47 A$2.12

-4.76%

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

$29.0K ₩38.7M

$29.0K A$41.7K

0.02%

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

$28.6K ₩38.1M

$26.5K A$38.1K

7.86%

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

$209 ₩278.2K

$234 A$336

-10.78%

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

$35.24 ₩47.0K

$27.93 A$40.19

26.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 ₩27.8K

$55.7 A$80.2

-62.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.40 ₩44.6K

$49.40 A$71.1

-32.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.21 ₩51.0K

$21.48 A$30.91

77.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$15.09 A$21.72

-25.38%

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

$295 ₩394.2K

$2,371 A$3,412

-87.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ₩24.2M

$30.2K A$43.5K

-39.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 ₩76.2K

$80.0 A$115

-28.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 ₩43.8K

$50.7 A$73.0

-35.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₩92.7K

$121 A$174

-42.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.4K

$130 A$188

-35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₩814.9K

$1,759 A$2,531

-65.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩481.8K

$1,390 A$2,000

-74.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$3,494 A$5,027

-63.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₩924.5K

$2,493 A$3,588

-72.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,723 ₩9.0M

$6,926 A$9,967

-2.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,498 ₩7.3M

$6,445 A$9,274

-14.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,411 ₩3.2M

$4,383 A$6,307

-44.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.9

-30.85%

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

Last update for Incheon: 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

Incheon

$399 29%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 3.7% $15

Accommodation & Living

Incheon

$361 26.3%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 285% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Incheon

$265 19.3%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 20% $53

Eating Out

Incheon

$147 10.7%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 113% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Incheon

$110 8%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 56.6% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Incheon

$56 4.1%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 42.3% $24

Getting Around

Incheon

$36 2.6%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 361% $128

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $611 in Incheon 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 82% 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 $35.00 in Incheon versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in Incheon vs $384 in Melbourne – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Incheon

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

05:39 5:39 AM

2 h ahead of Incheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,870,545

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

Incheon Melbourne 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Incheon
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

Incheon vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 105%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,059 per month in Incheon 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 Incheon, 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 $35.00 in Incheon and $85.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,373 in Incheon and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 105%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Incheon, where all-in costs run around $1,373, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Incheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Incheon – 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 Incheon. 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.