Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Sangju: $1,418 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Sangju
Learn more

Sangju Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Sangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,418

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Sangju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,418 in Sangju.

Melbourne $2,821
Sangju $1,418

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,194 in Sangju.

Melbourne $4,235
Sangju $2,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $2,970 in Sangju.

Melbourne $5,650
Sangju $2,970

Living in Melbourne is roughly 99% more expensive than in Sangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Sangju 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$6.08 ₩8,086

186.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$34.36 ₩45.7K

146.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$6.65 ₩8,846

87.37%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.71 ₩4,939

10.78%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.55 ₩2,055

97.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.58 ₩775

334.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.54 ₩4,708

176.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$4.38 ₩5,817

95.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.26 ₩3,005

-34.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$3.02 ₩4,020

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.30 ₩3,058

15.65%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.31 ₩4,399

67.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$15.56 ₩20.7K

-32.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$7.62 ₩10.1K

26.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$11.32 ₩15.1K

34.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-47.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$3.26 ₩4,335

-7.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-59.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$7.12 ₩9,462

-32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$3.54 ₩4,701

-14.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.37 ₩3,154

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

$1.33 ₩1,769

22.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.29 ₩4,379

1239.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$18.50 ₩24.6K

-31.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.20 ₩2,921

151.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.47 ₩4,609

50.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.15 ₩1,523

225.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.74 ₩4,977

20.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.61 ₩817

122.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$12.83 ₩17.1K

137.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.39 ₩1,855

5.76%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$28.9K ₩38.4M

0.37%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$35.5K ₩47.3M

-25.51%

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

$234 A$336

$208 ₩276.1K

12.55%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$43.09 ₩57.3K

-35.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$20.94 ₩27.8K

166.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$51.5 ₩68.5K

-4.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$12.08 ₩16.1K

77.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$11.00 ₩14.6K

37.18%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$297 ₩394.3K

699.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$17.8K ₩23.7M

69.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$64.8 ₩86.1K

23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$63.2 ₩84.0K

-19.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$75.4 ₩100.3K

59.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$100 ₩133.0K

30.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$492 ₩653.6K

257.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$365 ₩485.9K

280.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,160 ₩1.5M

201.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$757 ₩1.0M

229.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$7,193 ₩9.6M

-3.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$5,380 ₩7.2M

19.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,433 ₩1.9M

205.88%

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 Sangju: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Sangju

$365 25.8% 73.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Sangju

$412 29% 7.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Sangju

$272 19.2% 14.4% $46

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Sangju

$148 10.5% 52.9% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Sangju

$137 9.6% 20.5% $35

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Sangju

$11 * 0.8% 93% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Sangju

$74 5.2% 7.7% $6.1

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 $492 in Sangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 206% 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 $34.00 in Sangju. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $412, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Sangju

🕒 Local time

06:02 6:02 AM

04:02 4:02 AM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

100,947

💱 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 Sangju 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Sangju

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 Sangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Sangju differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $1,418 including rent). Sangju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 206% 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 $492 in Sangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $1,418 in Sangju – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,418 in Sangju versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sangju but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Sangju 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 Sangju 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 Sangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.