Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penrith and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,604 in Penrith, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Penrith
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,604
/mo nomad
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,794
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,604 per month in Penrith vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

  • Penrith $2,604
  • Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $3,652 per month in Penrith vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

  • Penrith $3,652
  • Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $4,701 per month in Penrith vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

  • Penrith $4,701
  • Seoul $3,931

Penrith costs about 45% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Penrith and Seoul sit above the global median – Penrith by 93%, Seoul by 33%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Penrith
Seoul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.03 A$30.13
$8.80 ₩11.8K
138.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.7 A$128
$68.4 ₩91.7K
31.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.56 A$15.12
$7.54 ₩10.1K
40.05%
Cappuccino
$2.04 A$2.92
$4.23 ₩5,672
-51.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 A$4.52
$1.63 ₩2,186
93.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 A$3.67
$0.74 ₩993
245.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.57 A$12.27
$3.64 ₩4,885
135.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.96 A$7.10
$6.15 ₩8,245
-19.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Penrith
Seoul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 A$2.25
$2.01 ₩2,702
-21.89%
White Bread (500g)
$3.32 A$4.76
$3.13 ₩4,200
6.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.54 A$3.64
$4.32 ₩5,793
-41.20%
Eggs
$5.16 A$7.39
$3.61 ₩4,835
42.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 A$18.73
$17.83 ₩23.9K
-26.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 A$13.95
$10.45 ₩14.0K
-6.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.40 A$22.06
$25.80 ₩34.6K
-40.31%
Apples (1kg)
$3.93 A$5.62
$7.66 ₩10.3K
-48.69%
Banana (1kg)
$3.08 A$4.41
$3.38 ₩4,537
-8.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.50 A$5.01
$5.81 ₩7,789
-39.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.31 A$7.61
$6.41 ₩8,592
-17.16%
Potato (1kg)
$3.17 A$4.54
$3.75 ₩5,025
-15.47%
Onion (1kg)
$2.80 A$4.00
$2.54 ₩3,404
10.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 A$3.56
$2.84 ₩3,815
-12.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 A$1.92
$1.11 ₩1,485
20.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.42 A$65.1
$3.35 ₩4,493
1255.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.07 A$20.15
$18.49 ₩24.8K
-23.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.62 A$6.62
$2.40 ₩3,213
92.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 A$8.08
$3.37 ₩4,518
67.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Penrith
Seoul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.17 A$4.55
$1.14 ₩1,534
178.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.5 A$112
$46.11 ₩61.8K
70.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.11 A$5.89
$3.49 ₩4,683
17.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 A$2.25
$0.63 ₩847
149.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.63 A$61.1
$8.86 ₩11.9K
381.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 A$1.69
$1.51 ₩2,023
-21.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K A$38.8K
$29.3K ₩39.3M
-7.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.0K A$43.0K
$28.2K ₩37.8M
6.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Penrith
Seoul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 A$262
$218 ₩291.7K
-16.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.16 A$37.48
$35.15 ₩47.1K
-25.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.4 A$79.3
$21.29 ₩28.5K
160.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Penrith
Seoul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 A$73.1
$58.1 ₩77.9K
-12.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.66 A$25.30
$16.10 ₩21.6K
9.69%
Cinema Ticket
$15.88 A$22.75
$11.31 ₩15.2K
40.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Penrith
Seoul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,390 A$3,424
$1,948 ₩2.6M
22.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.9K A$28.5K
$22.9K ₩30.7M
-12.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Penrith
Seoul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.3 A$108
$57.0 ₩76.5K
32.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 A$80.4
$33.39 ₩44.8K
68.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 A$154
$71.5 ₩95.9K
50.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 A$192
$82.5 ₩110.7K
62.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Penrith
Seoul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,371 A$1,964
$901 ₩1.2M
52.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,289 A$1,847
$612 ₩820.4K
110.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,142 A$3,068
$2,526 ₩3.4M
-15.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,686 A$2,416
$1,266 ₩1.7M
33.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,992 A$7,152
$29.4K ₩39.5M
-83.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,361 A$6,247
$11.9K ₩16.0M
-63.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Penrith
Seoul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,650 ₩4.9M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.95
4.08
45.83%

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

Last update for Penrith: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Penrith
$1.3K
Seoul
$612 52.5% $677
Groceries & Markets
Penrith
$396
Seoul
$477 20.4% $81
Eating Out
Penrith
$300
Seoul
$184 38.7% $116
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Penrith
$264
Seoul
$274 3.7% $9.7
Clothing & Footwear
Penrith
$168
Seoul
$110 34.6% $58
Getting Around
Penrith
$103
Seoul
$57 44.4% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Penrith
$83
Seoul
$81 2.5% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,371 in Penrith versus $901 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Penrith versus $68.0 in Seoul. Groceries tell a different story – $396 in Penrith vs $477 in Seoul – so Penrith wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Penrith
🇰🇷 Seoul
🕒 Local time
08:05 8:05 AM
06:05 6:05 AM
2 h behind Penrith
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,343
9,509,458 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,501 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Penrith Seoul 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Penrith
  • 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
Penrith vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Penrith or Seoul?
Penrith costs about 45% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Penrith and in Seoul?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,905 per month in Penrith and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Penrith or Seoul?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Penrith compared to Seoul?
Public transport costs about 70% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Penrith and in Seoul?
Kindergarten costs $2,390 per month in Penrith and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Penrith or in Seoul?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Penrith at $2,604. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Penrith it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Seoul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Penrith compared to Seoul?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Penrith or to Seoul?
If budget matters most, go with Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penrith makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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