Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,596 in Newcastle, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,596

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Newcastle and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Newcastle and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,596 in Newcastle versus $1,822 in Seoul.

Newcastle $2,596
Seoul $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,812 in Newcastle versus $2,847 in Seoul.

Newcastle $3,812
Seoul $2,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,028 in Newcastle versus $3,872 in Seoul.

Newcastle $5,028
Seoul $3,872

Living in Newcastle is roughly 42% more expensive than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Newcastle 94% above, Seoul 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.06 A$30.14

$9.10 ₩12.2K

131.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$151

$67.0 ₩89.8K

57.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 A$14.67

$7.42 ₩9,941

38.14%

Cappuccino

$3.72 A$5.33

$4.08 ₩5,470

-8.82%

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

$3.17 A$4.54

$1.60 ₩2,141

98.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 A$2.55

$0.80 ₩1,078

122.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.01 A$12.90

$3.65 ₩4,886

146.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 A$10.14

$5.94 ₩7,956

19.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$2.05 ₩2,742

-27.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.75

$3.08 ₩4,130

-14.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.76

$4.21 ₩5,646

-54.16%

Eggs

$4.81 A$6.88

$3.57 ₩4,784

34.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 A$14.99

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-41.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 A$12.47

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-18.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 A$22.47

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-40.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.92

$7.42 ₩9,946

-53.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.27

$3.53 ₩4,732

-15.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.35

$5.87 ₩7,866

-48.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 A$6.42

$6.37 ₩8,534

-29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.15

$3.75 ₩5,028

-22.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.49

$2.49 ₩3,337

-2.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.47

$2.92 ₩3,911

-16.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.15 ₩1,542

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.12 A$44.53

$3.29 ₩4,408

845.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 A$14.94

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-43.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 A$6.27

$2.28 ₩3,057

92.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 A$4.86

$3.28 ₩4,398

3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.09

$1.14 ₩1,526

150.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$221

$45.47 ₩60.9K

239.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 A$3.40

$3.48 ₩4,663

-31.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.32

$0.60 ₩803

170.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.64 A$58.2

$8.70 ₩11.7K

367.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.76

$1.50 ₩2,004

-18.00%

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

$30.5K A$43.6K

$29.1K ₩39.0M

4.59%

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

$29.9K A$42.8K

$28.2K ₩37.8M

6.19%

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

$219 A$314

$209 ₩279.9K

5.05%

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

$26.03 A$37.25

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-25.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$80.5

$21.18 ₩28.4K

165.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.81 A$62.7

$57.3 ₩76.8K

-23.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.18 A$26.02

$15.89 ₩21.3K

14.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 A$20.23

$11.33 ₩15.2K

24.71%

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

$2,195 A$3,142

$1,902 ₩2.5M

15.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-41.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 A$117

$58.9 ₩78.9K

38.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.51 A$66.6

$32.12 ₩43.0K

44.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$170

$70.1 ₩94.0K

69.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 A$164

$82.5 ₩110.5K

39.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 A$2,200

$885 ₩1.2M

73.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 A$1,677

$624 ₩835.5K

87.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,598

$2,494 ₩3.3M

0.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 A$2,639

$1,275 ₩1.7M

44.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K A$19.3K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

-54.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,706 A$8,165

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-51.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,067 A$4,389

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-15.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.08

60.54%

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

Last update for Newcastle: October 6, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newcastle

$1.2K 45.8%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 46.8% $549

Groceries & Markets

Newcastle

$349 13.7%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 37.2% $130

Eating Out

Newcastle

$323 12.6%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 43.1% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newcastle

$302 11.8%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 12.1% $37

Getting Around

Newcastle

$176 6.9%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 67.9% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Newcastle

$163 6.4%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 32.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Newcastle

$72 2.8%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 11% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Newcastle and $885 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $105 in Newcastle vs $67.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $479, with Newcastle cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

20:28 8:28 PM

2 h behind Newcastle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

508,437

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 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 = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Newcastle Seoul 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Newcastle vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and clothing. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,538 in Newcastle versus $885 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,596 per month in Newcastle versus $1,822 in Seoul – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 239% less than in Newcastle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,596 in Newcastle, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Newcastle. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul 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, Newcastle and Seoul 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 Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Newcastle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.