Cost of Living Comparison Between Ipswich and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between Ipswich and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,102 per month in Ipswich vs $1,752 in Seoul, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,961 per month in Ipswich vs $2,801 in Seoul, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Ipswich vs $3,850 in Seoul, rent included.

Ipswich costs about 20% more than Seoul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ipswich and Seoul sit above the global median – Ipswich by 53%, Seoul by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.42 A$45.00

$9.76 ₩13.1K

232.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 A$108

$65.6 ₩88.3K

19.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 A$13.86

$7.14 ₩9,614

39.92%

Cappuccino

$4.63 A$6.43

$4.02 ₩5,413

15.17%

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

$3.84 A$5.34

$1.64 ₩2,202

134.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.40

$0.83 ₩1,111

195.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.19 A$12.76

$3.59 ₩4,829

155.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 A$11.01

$5.73 ₩7,715

38.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 A$3.42

$2.11 ₩2,835

17.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 A$3.55

$3.11 ₩4,187

-17.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.24

$4.25 ₩5,722

-44.94%

Eggs

$7.70 A$10.69

$3.38 ₩4,546

127.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 A$10.18

$17.01 ₩22.9K

-56.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.18

$10.06 ₩13.5K

-12.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 A$20.21

$24.88 ₩33.5K

-41.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.72

$7.36 ₩9,902

-53.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.74

$3.47 ₩4,672

-22.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.05

$5.55 ₩7,465

-47.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.63

$6.26 ₩8,420

-35.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 A$2.76

$3.65 ₩4,906

-45.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.06

$2.43 ₩3,274

-9.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.44

$2.73 ₩3,670

-9.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 A$2.55

$1.08 ₩1,454

70.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.22 A$62.8

$3.23 ₩4,354

1300.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.29 A$30.94

$18.34 ₩24.7K

21.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.59 A$9.15

$2.36 ₩3,178

179.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 A$10.55

$3.12 ₩4,205

143.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 A$0.52

$1.16 ₩1,565

-67.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.79 ₩60.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 A$3.11

$3.56 ₩4,785

-37.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.23

$0.58 ₩787

177.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.52 A$50.7

$8.88 ₩12.0K

311.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.99

$1.45 ₩1,950

-1.38%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

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

$28.1K ₩37.8M

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

$93.2 A$129

$196 ₩264.4K

-52.58%

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

$32.13 A$44.59

$34.49 ₩46.4K

-6.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 A$89.5

$19.80 ₩26.7K

225.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.13 A$25.17

$57.0 ₩76.8K

-68.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 ₩21.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 ₩14.9K

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

$1,891 ₩2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩75.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.45 ₩43.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 ₩91.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 ₩106.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 A$1,464

$865 ₩1.2M

21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 A$1,453

$601 ₩808.9K

74.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 A$2,004

$2,497 ₩3.4M

-42.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 A$1,972

$1,225 ₩1.6M

15.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.2K ₩37.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,362 A$6,054

$3,486 ₩4.7M

25.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.98

4.08

46.57%

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

Last update for Ipswich: August 31, 2026

Last update for Seoul: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Ipswich versus $865 in Seoul. 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 25% higher in Ipswich, 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 $78.0 in Ipswich versus $66.0 in Seoul. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Ipswich vs $464 in Seoul – so Ipswich wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Ipswich vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ipswich is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,153 per month in Ipswich and $2,628 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Ipswich – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Ipswich and $66.0 in Seoul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,752, than in Ipswich at $2,102. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ipswich it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seoul – 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 Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ipswich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.