Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Parramatta and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,908 in Parramatta, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Parramatta
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Parramatta Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Parramatta

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,908

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Parramatta 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 Parramatta and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,908 in Parramatta versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Parramatta $2,908
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,053 in Parramatta versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Parramatta $4,053
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,198 in Parramatta versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Parramatta $5,198
Seoul $3,931

Living in Parramatta is roughly 62% more expensive than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Parramatta 115% above, Seoul 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.09

$8.80 ₩11.7K

98.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 A$128

$68.4 ₩90.9K

30.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 A$17.20

$7.54 ₩10.0K

58.49%

Cappuccino

$3.91 A$5.63

$4.23 ₩5,624

-7.57%

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

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.63 ₩2,167

85.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 A$3.77

$0.74 ₩985

254.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 A$11.94

$3.64 ₩4,843

128.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 A$10.30

$6.15 ₩8,175

16.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 A$2.31

$2.01 ₩2,679

-19.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 A$3.97

$3.13 ₩4,164

-11.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.39

$4.32 ₩5,744

-45.37%

Eggs

$5.41 A$7.78

$3.61 ₩4,794

49.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.38

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-32.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 A$14.15

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-5.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 A$21.66

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-41.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.86

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-46.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.45

$3.38 ₩4,499

-8.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.81

$5.81 ₩7,723

-42.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 A$7.44

$6.41 ₩8,520

-19.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.45

$3.75 ₩4,983

-17.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$2.54 ₩3,375

-4.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 A$3.65

$2.84 ₩3,782

-10.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 A$1.90

$1.11 ₩1,472

18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.84 A$64.5

$3.35 ₩4,455

1238.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.69 A$19.70

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-25.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.08 A$5.87

$2.40 ₩3,185

70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 A$5.78

$3.37 ₩4,480

19.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$199

$46.11 ₩61.3K

199.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 A$4.91

$3.49 ₩4,643

-2.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.33

$0.63 ₩840

157.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.33 A$58.0

$8.86 ₩11.8K

355.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.51 ₩2,005

-9.93%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-1.05%

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

$29.8K A$42.8K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

5.47%

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

$221 A$318

$218 ₩289.2K

1.48%

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

$27.03 A$38.90

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-23.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 A$79.4

$21.29 ₩28.3K

159.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.61 A$49.80

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-40.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.71 A$28.37

$16.10 ₩21.4K

22.42%

Cinema Ticket

$16.14 A$23.23

$11.31 ₩15.0K

42.71%

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

$2,204 A$3,172

$1,948 ₩2.6M

13.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.7K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-9.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 A$114

$57.0 ₩75.8K

38.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$79.7

$33.39 ₩44.4K

65.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$153

$71.5 ₩95.0K

48.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$82.5 ₩109.7K

57.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 A$2,630

$901 ₩1.2M

102.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 A$2,219

$612 ₩813.5K

152.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,928 A$5,653

$2,526 ₩3.4M

55.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 A$3,068

$1,266 ₩1.7M

68.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,204 A$6,049

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-85.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,283 A$4,724

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-72.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,103 A$5,904

$3,650 ₩4.9M

12.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

4.08

43.14%

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

Last update for Parramatta: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Parramatta

$1.5K 53%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 60.3% $930

Groceries & Markets

Parramatta

$379 13%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 25.7% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Parramatta

$303 10.4%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 9.6% $29

Eating Out

Parramatta

$301 10.3%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 38.9% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Parramatta

$167 5.7%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 34.1% $57

Getting Around

Parramatta

$150 * 5.1%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 61.7% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Parramatta

$67 2.3%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 20.6% $14

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 $1,828 in Parramatta and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parramatta pays 12% 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: $89.0 in Parramatta vs $68.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $477, with Parramatta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Parramatta

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

00:12 12:12 AM

2 h behind Parramatta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,745

9,509,458 Capital

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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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Highest

Between locations

Parramatta Seoul 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Parramatta
Seoul

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

Parramatta vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Parramatta, 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: $1,828 in Parramatta versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,908 per month in Parramatta versus $1,794 in Seoul – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 199% less than in Parramatta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,908 in Parramatta, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Parramatta. 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, Parramatta 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 62% less than in Parramatta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.