Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Uijeongbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Uijeongbu: $1,239 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Uijeongbu
Learn more

Uijeongbu Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Uijeongbu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,239

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Uijeongbu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $1,239 in Uijeongbu.

Melbourne $2,849
Uijeongbu $1,239

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $1,889 in Uijeongbu.

Melbourne $4,274
Uijeongbu $1,889

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $2,538 in Uijeongbu.

Melbourne $5,699
Uijeongbu $2,538

Living in Melbourne is roughly 130% more expensive than in Uijeongbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Uijeongbu is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.88

$6.64 ₩8,807

163.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$34.36 ₩45.6K

145.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.30

$6.66 ₩8,844

82.73%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$3.72 ₩4,941

9.41%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$1.54 ₩2,050

106.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$0.75 ₩989

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.61

$3.55 ₩4,705

169.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.73

$4.45 ₩5,900

85.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$2.05 ₩2,715

-26.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$3.15 ₩4,178

-5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.82

$2.25 ₩2,992

19.11%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.76

$3.32 ₩4,404

64.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.23

$15.46 ₩20.5K

-30.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.29

$7.91 ₩10.5K

27.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.33

$11.49 ₩15.2K

30.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.79

$7.62 ₩10.1K

-46.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$3.26 ₩4,326

-3.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$5.67 ₩7,520

-44.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.73

$6.17 ₩8,193

-23.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.24

$3.59 ₩4,766

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.37 ₩3,146

5.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.05 ₩2,719

20.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.16 ₩1,544

37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.5

$3.41 ₩4,522

1209.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.03

$18.92 ₩25.1K

-32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.89

$2.27 ₩3,012

144.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$3.23 ₩4,284

60.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.46

$1.14 ₩1,516

236.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.20

$3.51 ₩4,656

24.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$0.59 ₩787

132.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.26

$9.13 ₩12.1K

225.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.40 ₩1,858

6.43%

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

$29.1K A$41.4K

$29.5K ₩39.1M

-1.33%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$28.2K ₩37.4M

-9.00%

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

$236 A$335

$210 ₩278.9K

12.13%

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

$28.01 A$39.83

$34.87 ₩46.3K

-19.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.4

$21.08 ₩28.0K

171.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$53.6 ₩71.1K

-9.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.52

$13.84 ₩18.4K

55.06%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.12

$11.16 ₩14.8K

58.33%

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

$2,461 A$3,499

$373 ₩495.0K

559.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$18.1K ₩24.0M

64.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$59.2 ₩78.5K

37.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.1

$32.30 ₩42.9K

52.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$71.3 ₩94.7K

67.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$81.3 ₩107.9K

61.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,421

$267 ₩354.2K

537.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,003

$224 ₩296.8K

529.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,971

$487 ₩646.0K

617.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,593

$411 ₩545.5K

514.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$7,146 ₩9.5M

11.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,812

$5,504 ₩7.3M

25.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,053

$2,265 ₩3.0M

87.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.08

44.61%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Uijeongbu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Uijeongbu

$224 18.1% 84.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Uijeongbu

$399 32.2% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Uijeongbu

$266 21.5% 17.1% $55

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Uijeongbu

$154 12.4% 50.9% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Uijeongbu

$110 8.9% 35.9% $62

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Uijeongbu

$11 * 0.9% 93.3% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Uijeongbu

$76 6.1% 9.3% $7.8

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 $1,703 in Melbourne and $267 in Uijeongbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 88% 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: $84 in Melbourne vs $34 in Uijeongbu. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $399, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Uijeongbu

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

22:49 10:49 PM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

463,077

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD). 1 EUR = 1,477 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Uijeongbu 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Uijeongbu

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 Uijeongbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Uijeongbu differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($2,849 vs $1,239 including rent). Uijeongbu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 88% 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: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $267 in Uijeongbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,849 per month in Melbourne versus $1,239 in Uijeongbu – a 130% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,239 in Uijeongbu versus $2,849 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Uijeongbu but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Uijeongbu 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 Uijeongbu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Uijeongbu wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.