Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Gyeonggi

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeonggi: $1,072 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
Learn more

Gyeonggi Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Gyeonggi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,072 in Gyeonggi.

Melbourne $2,821
Gyeonggi $1,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,079 in Gyeonggi.

Melbourne $4,235
Gyeonggi $2,079

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $3,085 in Gyeonggi.

Melbourne $5,650
Gyeonggi $3,085

Living in Melbourne is roughly 163% more expensive than in Gyeonggi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Gyeonggi is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$7.53 ₩10.0K

131.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$60.6 ₩80.6K

39.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$6.00 ₩7,975

107.67%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.90 ₩5,180

5.38%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.22 ₩1,625

150.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.68 ₩903

270.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.47 ₩4,610

182.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$2.93 ₩3,890

192.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.76 ₩2,334

-15.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$11.17 ₩14.9K

-64.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$3.82 ₩5,084

-20.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$7.70 ₩10.2K

-59.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.07 ₩4,087

46.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.58 ₩775

134.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.46 ₩1,945

0.68%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

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

$234 A$336

$186 ₩247.8K

25.38%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$40.40 ₩53.7K

-30.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$21.83 ₩29.0K

155.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$56.3 ₩74.9K

-12.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$10.32 ₩13.7K

46.22%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$58.9 ₩78.4K

35.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$42.06 ₩55.9K

20.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$86.3 ₩114.8K

39.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$532 ₩707.0K

230.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$373 ₩496.5K

272.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$2,102 ₩2.8M

66.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,503 ₩2.0M

65.92%

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

$2,244 ₩3.0M

95.35%

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 Gyeonggi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8% 73.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9% 66.9% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2% 21.7% $69

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5% 50.5% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9% 50.9% $87

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6% 96.3% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2% 3.3% $2.6

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 $532 in Gyeonggi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 95% 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 $61.0 in Gyeonggi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $127 per month, with Gyeonggi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

04:03 4:03 AM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,234,582

💱 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 →

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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 Gyeonggi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyeonggi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 95% 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 $532 in Gyeonggi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 202% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gyeonggi – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,072 in Gyeonggi versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gyeonggi but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.