Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Albury

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,246 in Albury, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Albury
Learn more

Albury Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Albury

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,246

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Albury

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,246 in Albury.

Seoul $1,794
Albury $2,246

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $3,352 in Albury.

Seoul $2,863
Albury $3,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $4,458 in Albury.

Seoul $3,931
Albury $4,458

Living in Seoul costs roughly 20% less than in Albury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 33% above, Albury 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$20.83 A$29.84

-57.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$88.2 A$126

-22.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$10.52 A$15.07

-28.33%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,672

$4.13 A$5.92

2.42%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$3.05 A$4.37

-46.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$2.49 A$3.57

-70.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$7.05 A$10.10

-48.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$7.02 A$10.06

-12.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.53 A$2.19

31.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$3.19 A$4.57

-1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$2.52 A$3.61

71.43%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$5.16 A$7.39

-30.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$8.59 A$12.31

107.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$9.73 A$13.94

7.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$12.75 A$18.26

102.35%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$3.28 A$4.70

133.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$3.18 A$4.55

6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,789

$3.41 A$4.88

70.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,592

$5.28 A$7.57

21.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,025

$3.05 A$4.37

22.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,404

$2.12 A$3.03

19.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$2.27 A$3.25

25.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$1.38 A$1.98

-19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$27.71 A$39.70

-87.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$13.68 A$19.60

35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$4.27 A$6.12

-43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$5.39 A$7.71

-37.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$3.86 A$5.52

-70.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$71.5 A$102

-35.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$3.44 A$4.92

1.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$1.60 A$2.30

-60.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$41.17 A$59.0

-78.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.30 A$1.86

16.15%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$26.6K A$38.1K

10.18%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$27.9K A$39.9K

1.27%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$184 A$263

18.47%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$26.90 A$38.53

30.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$55.0 A$78.8

-61.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$138 A$197

-57.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$22.37 A$32.05

-28.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$12.91 A$18.49

-12.39%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,164 A$3,100

-10.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$20.5K A$29.4K

11.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$62.7 A$89.8

-9.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$42.39 A$60.7

-21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$97.0 A$139

-26.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$107 A$154

-23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,102 A$1,579

-18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.4K

$895 A$1,282

-31.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,898 A$2,719

33.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,388 A$1,989

-8.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$4,706 A$6,742

-22.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.95

-31.43%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Albury: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Albury

$895 39.9% 46.3% $283

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Albury

$365 16.2% 23.5% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Albury

$266 11.8% 3.1% $8.4

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Albury

$319 14.2% 73.7% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Albury

$139 6.2% 26.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Albury

$164 7.3% 103% $83

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Albury

$98 4.4% 71.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $1,102 in Albury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albury pays 29% 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: $68.0 in Seoul vs $88.0 in Albury. Groceries flip the comparison at $477 vs $365, with Albury cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Albury

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

5,323

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,501 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Albury 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Albury

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 Albury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Albury. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Albury. 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: $901 in Seoul versus $1,102 in Albury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Albury pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Seoul – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $88.0 in Albury. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,246 in Albury, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Albury. 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 Albury 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 25% less than in Albury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.