Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Andong

For one person, living is cheaper in Andong: $1,406 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Andong
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Andong Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Andong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Andong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,406 in Andong.

Melbourne $2,821
Andong $1,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,175 in Andong.

Melbourne $4,235
Andong $2,175

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $2,944 in Andong.

Melbourne $5,650
Andong $2,944

Living in Melbourne is roughly 101% more expensive than in Andong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Andong 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$5.93 ₩7,913

193.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$35.18 ₩46.9K

140.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$6.53 ₩8,708

90.81%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.72 ₩4,970

10.48%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.61 ₩2,154

90.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.59 ₩781

327.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.55 ₩4,733

176.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$4.57 ₩6,099

87.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.28 ₩3,040

-35.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$3.02 ₩4,028

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.30 ₩3,071

15.65%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.35 ₩4,469

65.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$15.85 ₩21.2K

-33.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$7.72 ₩10.3K

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$11.00 ₩14.7K

38.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$7.67 ₩10.2K

-47.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$3.32 ₩4,427

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$7.37 ₩9,834

-57.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$6.82 ₩9,104

-29.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$3.55 ₩4,735

-14.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.36 ₩3,146

3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.00 ₩2,667

23.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.29 ₩1,720

26.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.27 ₩4,363

1247.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$18.83 ₩25.1K

-32.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.20 ₩2,936

151.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.38 ₩4,512

54.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.13 ₩1,513

230.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.04 ₩4,052

48.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.66 ₩885

106.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$12.91 ₩17.2K

135.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.42 ₩1,889

3.52%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$29.3K ₩39.1M

-0.94%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$36.0K ₩48.0M

-26.39%

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

$234 A$336

$207 ₩275.5K

13.16%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$42.65 ₩56.9K

-34.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$20.71 ₩27.6K

169.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$51.6 ₩68.8K

-4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$11.83 ₩15.8K

81.57%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$10.99 ₩14.7K

37.31%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$299 ₩398.4K

694.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$18.1K ₩24.1M

66.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$64.9 ₩86.6K

23.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$64.1 ₩85.5K

-20.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$74.2 ₩98.9K

62.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$98.4 ₩131.2K

32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$482 ₩643.2K

264.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$358 ₩477.6K

288.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,183 ₩1.6M

195.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$736 ₩981.4K

238.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$7,141 ₩9.5M

-3.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$5,385 ₩7.2M

19.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,850 ₩2.5M

136.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.1

43.90%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Andong: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Andong

$358 25.5% 74.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Andong

$411 29.2% 7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Andong

$270 19.2% 15% $47

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Andong

$147 10.5% 53.1% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Andong

$136 9.7% 21% $36

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Andong

$11 * 0.8% 93.4% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Andong

$74 5.2% 7.6% $6

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $482 in Andong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 137% 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $35.00 in Andong. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $411, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Andong

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

166,274

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Andong 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Andong

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

Melbourne vs Andong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Andong wins on cost – living expenses run 101% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Andong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 137% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $482 in Andong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $299 in Andong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Andong – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,406 in Andong versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Andong but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Andong 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, Melbourne and Andong 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 Andong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.