Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bucheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucheon: $1,477 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 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
72

Cost of Living Index in Bucheon
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Bucheon Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Bucheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Bucheon

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 Bucheon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $1,477 in Bucheon, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Bucheon $1,477

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $2,387 in Bucheon, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Bucheon $2,387

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $3,297 in Bucheon, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Bucheon $3,297

Melbourne costs about 91% more than Bucheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Bucheon sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Bucheon by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$9.14 ₩12.2K

90.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$67.2 ₩89.3K

25.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$7.55 ₩10.0K

65.03%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$4.19 ₩5,577

-1.91%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.57 ₩2,083

94.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.82 ₩1,095

207.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.71 ₩4,939

164.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.10 ₩8,111

40.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.07 ₩2,756

-28.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$3.13 ₩4,168

-6.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$4.26 ₩5,666

-37.56%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.68 ₩4,899

50.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$17.76 ₩23.6K

-40.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$10.31 ₩13.7K

-6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$26.60 ₩35.4K

-42.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-47.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$3.36 ₩4,467

-10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$5.69 ₩7,568

-45.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$6.33 ₩8,410

-23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$3.62 ₩4,810

-16.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.58 ₩3,435

-5.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.81 ₩3,734

-12.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.15 ₩1,531

41.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.28 ₩4,356

1243.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$18.57 ₩24.7K

-31.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.29 ₩3,044

141.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.28 ₩4,365

59.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.11 ₩1,470

236.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.50 ₩4,651

28.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.65 ₩858

109.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$9.16 ₩12.2K

232.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.50 ₩1,988

-2.00%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$28.9K ₩38.4M

0.33%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$27.7K ₩36.8M

-4.46%

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

$234 A$336

$211 ₩279.9K

10.99%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$35.07 ₩46.6K

-20.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$20.44 ₩27.2K

172.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$51.4 ₩68.4K

-3.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$12.05 ₩16.0K

78.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$11.12 ₩14.8K

35.70%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$528 ₩701.6K

349.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$22.4K ₩29.7M

35.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$57.0 ₩75.8K

40.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$33.21 ₩44.2K

52.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$69.2 ₩92.0K

74.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$83.0 ₩110.4K

57.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$483 ₩642.0K

264.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$353 ₩469.7K

293.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,180 ₩1.6M

196.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$751 ₩998.3K

232.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$7,217 ₩9.6M

-4.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$5,428 ₩7.2M

18.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,504 ₩2.0M

191.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.08

44.61%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bucheon: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Bucheon

$353 23.9% 74.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Bucheon

$477 32.3% 24.2% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Bucheon

$266 18% 16.2% $51

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Bucheon

$186 12.6% 40.7% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Bucheon

$109 7.4% 36.5% $63

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Bucheon

$11 * 0.8% 93.2% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Bucheon

$74 5% 7.5% $5.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $483 in Bucheon. 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 192% 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 $85.0 in Melbourne versus $67.0 in Bucheon. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Melbourne vs $477 in Bucheon – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Bucheon

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

848,191

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Bucheon 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Bucheon

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 Bucheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne, $1,477 in Bucheon – roughly 91% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $2,215 in Bucheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucheon, 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 $2,821 in Melbourne and $1,477 in Bucheon. That's a gap of about 91%.

Kindergarten costs $2,371 per month in Melbourne and $528 in Bucheon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucheon, where all-in costs run around $1,477, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Bucheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bucheon – 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 Bucheon. 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.