Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,111 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
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Jeju Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Jeju

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

A single person spends $2,852 per month in Melbourne vs $1,111 in Jeju, rent included.

Melbourne $2,852
Jeju $1,111

A couple spends around $4,297 per month in Melbourne vs $1,874 in Jeju, rent included.

Melbourne $4,297
Jeju $1,874

A family of three spends $5,742 per month in Melbourne vs $2,637 in Jeju, rent included.

Melbourne $5,742
Jeju $2,637

Melbourne costs about 157% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Melbourne sits 113% above the global median, while Jeju is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.49

$7.26 ₩9,749

144.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$122

$52.0 ₩69.9K

63.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.46

$5.44 ₩7,308

123.53%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.64

$6.03 ₩8,099

-34.83%

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

$3.14 A$4.51

$2.22 ₩2,988

41.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$1.94 ₩2,601

25.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.22

$3.58 ₩4,808

176.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.91

$2.91 ₩3,907

184.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$2.22 ₩2,987

-30.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.32

$2.21 ₩2,968

36.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.14

$2.29 ₩3,079

25.76%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.82

$2.70 ₩3,621

101.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.22

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.81

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.54

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.96

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.38

$2.13 ₩2,866

43.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.83

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.36

$2.93 ₩3,934

3.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.66

$1.87 ₩2,512

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.56

$2.18 ₩2,932

13.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.43 ₩579

279.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.3

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.85

$11.41 ₩15.3K

8.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.65

$1.93 ₩2,594

176.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.41

$1.72 ₩2,305

200.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.52

$0.95 ₩1,275

304.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.39 ₩1,862

5.04%

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

$28.1K A$40.4K

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

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

$233 A$334

$210 ₩282.5K

10.61%

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

$27.28 A$39.19

$54.7 ₩73.5K

-50.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.9

$19.28 ₩25.9K

195.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.49

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.57

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

$2,373 A$3,409

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.8K

$24.6K ₩33.0M

24.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$52.2 ₩70.2K

49.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.5

$29.57 ₩39.7K

70.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$65.8 ₩88.3K

83.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$89.9 ₩120.8K

48.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,460

$460 ₩618.0K

272.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,014

$382 ₩512.5K

267.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,796

$1,317 ₩1.8M

153.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,632

$1,145 ₩1.5M

120.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.1K

$10.4K ₩14.0M

-32.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,721

$6,745 ₩9.1M

0.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,074

$1,840 ₩2.5M

129.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Jeju

$382 34.6% 72.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Jeju

$139 * 12.6% 63.8% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Jeju

$284 25.8% 10.3% $33

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Jeju

$187 17% 40.4% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Jeju

$107 9.7% 37.9% $65

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Jeju

$3.8 * 0.3% 97.7% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Jeju

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,713 in Melbourne versus $460 in Jeju. 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 130% 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 $52.0 in Jeju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $139 – making Jeju the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

469,279

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,505 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Jeju 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Jeju

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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 157%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,277 per month in Melbourne and $1,667 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 176% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne and $52.0 in Jeju. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,111, than in Melbourne at $2,852. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeju – 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 Jeju. 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.