Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Gimcheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Gimcheon: $1,319 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Gimcheon
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Gimcheon Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Gimcheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Gimcheon

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $1,319 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Gimcheon $1,319

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,779 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Gimcheon $1,779

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $2,239 in Gimcheon, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Gimcheon $2,239

Melbourne costs about 114% more than Gimcheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Gimcheon is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$6.09 ₩8,091

186.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$34.04 ₩45.3K

148.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$6.71 ₩8,928

85.69%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.70 ₩4,921

11.08%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.61 ₩2,136

90.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.63 ₩842

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.52 ₩4,683

178.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$4.47 ₩5,939

91.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.24 ₩2,975

-33.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$3.21 ₩4,264

-8.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.26 ₩3,010

17.70%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.31 ₩4,401

67.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$15.79 ₩21.0K

-33.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$7.71 ₩10.3K

25.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$11.34 ₩15.1K

34.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$7.77 ₩10.3K

-48.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$3.24 ₩4,302

-6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$7.36 ₩9,792

-57.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$6.78 ₩9,020

-28.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$3.56 ₩4,735

-14.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.41 ₩3,203

1.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.04 ₩2,712

20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.48 ₩1,971

10.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.44 ₩4,572

1181.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$18.48 ₩24.6K

-31.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.31 ₩3,071

139.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.03 ₩1,367

263.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.93 ₩3,895

53.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.66 ₩877

106.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.15 ₩1,525

27.83%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$29.5K ₩39.2M

-1.72%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$35.9K ₩47.8M

-26.33%

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

$234 A$336

$213 ₩283.8K

9.49%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$44.15 ₩58.7K

-36.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$20.62 ₩27.4K

170.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$70.7 ₩93.9K

-30.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$11.36 ₩15.1K

32.83%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$303 ₩403.1K

682.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$17.7K ₩23.5M

70.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$66.7 ₩88.7K

19.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$64.2 ₩85.3K

-20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$74.1 ₩98.5K

62.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$98.6 ₩131.1K

32.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$296 ₩393.1K

494.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$244 ₩324.3K

469.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,930 ₩2.6M

127.04%

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 Gimcheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Gimcheon

$244 18.5% 82.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Gimcheon

$408 * 30.9% 6.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Gimcheon

$278 21.1% 12.3% $39

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Gimcheon

$149 11.3% 52.7% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Gimcheon

$137 10.4% 20.5% $35

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Gimcheon

$10 * 0.8% 93.7% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Gimcheon

$93 7.1% 17.3% $14

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 $296 in Gimcheon. 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 127% 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 $34.00 in Gimcheon. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Melbourne vs $408 in Gimcheon – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Gimcheon

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

04:37 4:37 AM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

143,056

💱 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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Between locations

Melbourne Gimcheon 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
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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 Gimcheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $1,979 in Gimcheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gimcheon, 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 $1,319 in Gimcheon. That's a gap of about 114%.

Kindergarten costs $2,371 per month in Melbourne and $303 in Gimcheon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gimcheon, where all-in costs run around $1,319, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Gimcheon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gimcheon – 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 Gimcheon. 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.