Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Albany

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,486 in Albany, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Albany
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Albany Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Albany

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,486 in Albany.

Seoul $1,794
Albany $2,486

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $3,609 in Albany.

Seoul $2,863
Albany $3,609

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $4,732 in Albany.

Seoul $3,931
Albany $4,732

Living in Seoul costs roughly 28% less than in Albany, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 33% above, Albany 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$19.51 A$28.07

-54.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$84.9 A$122

-19.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$10.11 A$14.54

-25.42%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$4.33 A$6.22

-2.31%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$2.49 A$3.58

-34.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$2.03 A$2.92

-63.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$8.50 A$12.24

-57.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$7.55 A$10.87

-18.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.55 A$2.23

29.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.69 A$3.88

16.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.14 A$3.08

101.87%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$5.19 A$7.47

-30.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$10.46 A$15.05

70.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$9.32 A$13.41

12.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$12.64 A$18.18

104.11%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$4.07 A$5.85

88.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$3.13 A$4.51

7.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.75 A$5.39

54.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$4.53 A$6.52

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.71 A$3.90

38.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.35 A$3.38

8.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.12 A$3.05

33.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.38 A$1.99

-19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$42.14 A$60.6

-92.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$14.68 A$21.13

25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$4.44 A$6.40

-45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$5.93 A$8.53

-43.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$2.95 A$4.25

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$79.8 A$115

-42.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$2.98 A$4.29

17.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$1.56 A$2.24

-59.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$35.56 A$51.2

-75.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.19 A$1.71

26.89%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$25.6K A$36.9K

14.28%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$33.5K A$48.1K

-15.67%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$202 A$290

7.94%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$27.79 A$39.99

26.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$48.77 A$70.2

-56.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$53.4 A$76.9

8.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$17.39 A$25.03

-7.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$14.90 A$21.43

-24.09%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,234 A$3,215

-12.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$20.4K A$29.3K

12.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$77.9 A$112

-26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$50.4 A$72.5

-33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$116 A$167

-38.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$112 A$161

-26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,194 A$1,718

-24.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$1,182 A$1,701

-48.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,181 A$3,139

15.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,789 A$2,574

-29.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$5,564 A$8,006

428.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$4,761 A$6,851

150.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,598 A$3,738

40.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.84

-30.14%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Albany: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Albany

$1.2K 47.6% 93.2% $570

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Albany

$366 14.7% 23.3% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Albany

$278 11.2% 1.5% $4.1

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Albany

$314 12.6% 70.8% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Albany

$160 6.4% 45.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Albany

$83 3.4% 3.1% $2.5

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Albany

$102 4.1% 78.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $1,194 in Albany. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Seoul vs $85.0 in Albany. Groceries flip the comparison at $477 vs $366, with Albany cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Albany

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

22:29 10:29 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

31,128

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

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).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Albany 8,130 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

Seoul vs Albany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Albany. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Seoul, 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: $901 in Seoul versus $1,194 in Albany. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $2,486 in Albany – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 73% less than in Albany. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,486 in Albany, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Albany. 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, Seoul and Albany 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 39% less than in Albany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.