Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Chuncheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Chuncheon: $1,207 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Chuncheon
Learn more

Chuncheon Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Chuncheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Chuncheon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,207 in Chuncheon.

Melbourne $2,821
Chuncheon $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,863 in Chuncheon.

Melbourne $4,235
Chuncheon $1,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $2,518 in Chuncheon.

Melbourne $5,650
Chuncheon $2,518

Living in Melbourne is roughly 134% more expensive than in Chuncheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Chuncheon is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$6.09 ₩8,102

186.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$35.08 ₩46.6K

141.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$5.58 ₩7,420

123.30%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.50 ₩4,656

17.43%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.41 ₩1,870

117.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.58 ₩772

334.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$2.97 ₩3,949

229.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$4.55 ₩6,055

88.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.06 ₩2,740

-28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.62 ₩3,489

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.35 ₩3,124

13.19%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.32 ₩4,415

66.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$14.88 ₩19.8K

-29.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$6.11 ₩8,121

57.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$11.33 ₩15.1K

34.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$7.46 ₩9,914

-46.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.51 ₩3,343

20.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.26 ₩3,010

37.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$7.01 ₩9,326

-31.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.19 ₩2,913

38.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.51 ₩3,335

-2.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.10 ₩2,795

17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.72 ₩964

126.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.29 ₩4,375

1239.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$11.04 ₩14.7K

15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.21 ₩1,612

357.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.32 ₩3,079

125.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.13 ₩1,508

230.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$38.04 ₩50.6K

261.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.62 ₩3,486

72.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.67 ₩884

102.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$9.10 ₩12.1K

234.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.12 ₩1,488

31.25%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$28.6K ₩38.0M

1.43%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$21.0K ₩27.9M

26.03%

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

$234 A$336

$207 ₩275.2K

12.91%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$36.73 ₩48.8K

-23.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$20.70 ₩27.5K

169.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$78.5 ₩104.4K

-37.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$20.60 ₩27.4K

4.27%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$11.38 ₩15.1K

32.60%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$339 ₩450.5K

599.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$6,611 ₩8.8M

356.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$40.32 ₩53.6K

98.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$59.6 ₩79.2K

-14.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$45.17 ₩60.1K

167.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$59.8 ₩79.5K

118.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$305 ₩405.3K

476.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$225 ₩299.1K

517.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$676 ₩899.4K

416.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$448 ₩595.7K

456.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$4,915 ₩6.5M

40.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$3,717 ₩4.9M

73.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,775 ₩2.4M

146.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.5

68.57%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chuncheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Chuncheon

$225 18.6% 83.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Chuncheon

$337 27.9% 12.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Chuncheon

$264 21.9% 16.7% $53

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Chuncheon

$139 11.6% 55.7% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Chuncheon

$92 7.6% 46.3% $80

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Chuncheon

$49 4% 70.4% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Chuncheon

$101 8.4% 27.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $305 in Chuncheon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 147% 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 Chuncheon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $337 per month, with Chuncheon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Chuncheon

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

14:50 2:50 PM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

280,061

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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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Between locations

Melbourne Chuncheon 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Chuncheon

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 Chuncheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chuncheon wins on cost – living expenses run 134% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chuncheon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 147% 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 $305 in Chuncheon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $1,207 in Chuncheon – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chuncheon runs roughly 262% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,207 in Chuncheon versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chuncheon but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Chuncheon 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 Chuncheon 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 Chuncheon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.