Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ilsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilsan: $1,444 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Ilsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,444 in Ilsan.

Melbourne $2,821
Ilsan $1,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,297 in Ilsan.

Melbourne $4,235
Ilsan $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $3,151 in Ilsan.

Melbourne $5,650
Ilsan $3,151

Living in Melbourne is roughly 95% more expensive than in Ilsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Ilsan 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$7.30 ₩9,705

138.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$67.4 ₩89.6K

25.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$7.34 ₩9,763

69.75%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$4.01 ₩5,337

2.49%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.61 ₩2,139

90.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.77 ₩1,017

227.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.79 ₩5,034

158.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.07 ₩8,070

41.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.08 ₩2,764

-28.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$3.16 ₩4,198

-6.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.23 ₩2,971

19.28%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.36 ₩4,466

64.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$15.36 ₩20.4K

-31.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$7.94 ₩10.6K

21.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$11.21 ₩14.9K

35.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$7.42 ₩9,860

-46.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$3.25 ₩4,324

-7.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$5.75 ₩7,649

-46.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$6.08 ₩8,087

-20.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$3.51 ₩4,666

-13.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.37 ₩3,152

2.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.00 ₩2,657

23.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.14 ₩1,520

42.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.41 ₩4,535

1192.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$18.73 ₩24.9K

-32.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.23 ₩2,960

148.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.35 ₩4,449

56.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.10 ₩1,462

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$49.42 ₩65.7K

178.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.64 ₩4,834

23.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.63 ₩833

115.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$9.18 ₩12.2K

231.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.42 ₩1,883

3.52%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$29.3K ₩39.0M

-1.08%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$28.3K ₩37.6M

-6.34%

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

$234 A$336

$213 ₩283.4K

9.63%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$34.95 ₩46.5K

-20.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$20.52 ₩27.3K

171.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$52.0 ₩69.2K

-5.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$11.82 ₩15.7K

81.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$11.30 ₩15.0K

33.54%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$520 ₩691.8K

355.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$17.6K ₩23.4M

71.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$57.0 ₩75.8K

40.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$32.76 ₩43.6K

54.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$69.9 ₩93.0K

72.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$83.0 ₩110.3K

57.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$482 ₩640.8K

264.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$365 ₩485.2K

280.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,166 ₩1.6M

199.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$738 ₩981.9K

237.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$7,213 ₩9.6M

-3.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$5,518 ₩7.3M

16.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$3,453 ₩4.6M

26.94%

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 Ilsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Ilsan

$365 25.3% 73.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Ilsan

$396 27.5% 3.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Ilsan

$269 18.6% 15.4% $49

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Ilsan

$169 11.7% 46.2% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Ilsan

$109 7.6% 36.4% $63

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Ilsan

$61 4.2% 63% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Ilsan

$75 5.2% 6.2% $5

Cost Breakdown

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

Melbourne pays 27% 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 $67.0 in Ilsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $396, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,061,752

💱 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 Ilsan 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Ilsan

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 Ilsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilsan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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 Ilsan. 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 $1,444 in Ilsan – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ilsan runs roughly 178% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,444 in Ilsan versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ilsan but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Ilsan 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 Ilsan 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 Ilsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.