Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ulsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulsan: $1,339 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Ulsan
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Ulsan Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Ulsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,339 in Ulsan.

Melbourne $2,821
Ulsan $1,339

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $2,185 in Ulsan.

Melbourne $4,235
Ulsan $2,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $3,030 in Ulsan.

Melbourne $5,650
Ulsan $3,030

Living in Melbourne is roughly 111% more expensive than in Ulsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Ulsan is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$7.62 ₩10.1K

128.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$44.63 ₩59.3K

89.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$5.93 ₩7,882

110.12%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.32 ₩4,410

23.80%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.88 ₩1,175

247.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.47 ₩619

436.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.01 ₩4,006

225.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$4.38 ₩5,826

95.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.36 ₩3,139

-37.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$3.25 ₩4,315

-9.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$3.16 ₩4,207

-15.82%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.73 ₩3,634

102.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$10.88 ₩14.5K

-3.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$10.63 ₩14.1K

-9.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$24.54 ₩32.6K

-37.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$11.39 ₩15.1K

-64.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$3.74 ₩4,975

-19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$8.09 ₩10.8K

-61.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$6.05 ₩8,048

-20.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$6.01 ₩7,992

-49.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$3.26 ₩4,328

-25.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.89 ₩3,844

-14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.28 ₩1,707

27.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.12 ₩4,154

1312.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$18.52 ₩24.6K

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.45 ₩3,264

126.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.44 ₩4,577

52.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.14 ₩1,511

228.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.89 ₩3,849

56.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.78 ₩1,040

74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$16.96 ₩22.6K

79.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.43 ₩1,899

2.80%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$30.0K ₩39.9M

-3.38%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$34.1K ₩45.4M

-22.44%

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

$234 A$336

$197 ₩261.8K

18.69%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$37.06 ₩49.3K

-24.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$27.21 ₩36.2K

104.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$60.4 ₩80.3K

-18.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$10.30 ₩13.7K

46.50%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$263 ₩349.3K

802.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$22.0K ₩29.3M

37.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$51.5 ₩68.5K

55.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$45.56 ₩60.6K

11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$61.0 ₩81.2K

97.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$75.0 ₩99.7K

73.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$373 ₩495.3K

372.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$244 ₩324.7K

469.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$761 ₩1.0M

359.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$648 ₩861.8K

284.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$4,483 ₩6.0M

54.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$2,479 ₩3.3M

160.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,331 ₩3.1M

87.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.22

39.81%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Ulsan

$244 18.2% 82.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Ulsan

$489 36.5% 27.3% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Ulsan

$261 19.5% 17.7% $56

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Ulsan

$148 11% 53% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Ulsan

$105 7.8% 38.9% $67

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Ulsan

$11 * 0.9% 93.1% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Ulsan

$81 6.1% 1.8% $1.4

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 $373 in Ulsan. 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $45.00 in Ulsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $489, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

01:30 1:30 AM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,129,827

💱 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 Ulsan 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Ulsan

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 Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Ulsan differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $1,339 including rent). Ulsan 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: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $373 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 27% 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 $1,339 in Ulsan – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,339 in Ulsan versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ulsan but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Ulsan 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 Ulsan 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 Ulsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.