Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Berry

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,612 in Berry, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Berry
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Berry Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Berry

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Berry

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,612 in Berry, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Berry $2,612

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,650 in Berry, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Berry $3,650

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,689 in Berry, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Berry $4,689

Seoul is about 31% cheaper than Berry, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$20.62 A$29.53

-57.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$88.6 A$127

-22.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$10.63 A$15.23

-29.07%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,672

$4.02 A$5.76

5.22%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$3.01 A$4.31

-45.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$2.48 A$3.55

-70.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$8.27 A$11.85

-55.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$9.50 A$13.61

-35.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.50 A$2.15

34.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$3.24 A$4.64

-3.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$2.66 A$3.82

62.41%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$5.39 A$7.71

-33.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$13.05 A$18.69

36.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$9.81 A$14.05

6.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$15.14 A$21.69

70.41%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$4.02 A$5.76

90.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$3.16 A$4.53

6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,789

$3.57 A$5.11

62.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,592

$5.34 A$7.66

20.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,025

$3.18 A$4.55

17.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,404

$2.70 A$3.87

-5.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$2.55 A$3.66

11.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$1.34 A$1.92

-17.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$44.91 A$64.3

-92.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$14.04 A$20.12

31.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$4.60 A$6.58

-47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$5.65 A$8.10

-40.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$2.74 A$3.92

-58.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$79.2 A$113

-41.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$4.07 A$5.84

-14.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$1.62 A$2.32

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$42.83 A$61.4

-79.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.35 A$1.93

11.85%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$27.0K A$38.6K

8.59%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$29.6K A$42.4K

-4.67%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$181 A$260

20.01%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$26.36 A$37.76

33.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$54.5 A$78.1

-60.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$60.2 A$86.3

-3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$18.03 A$25.83

-10.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$15.65 A$22.42

-27.73%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,360 A$3,381

-17.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$20.2K A$28.9K

13.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$77.3 A$111

-26.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$55.1 A$78.9

-39.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$108 A$155

-34.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$133 A$190

-37.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,353 A$1,938

-33.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.4K

$1,263 A$1,810

-51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,098 A$3,006

20.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,609 A$2,305

-21.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$5,134 A$7,354

473.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$5,137 A$7,359

131.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$4,399 A$6,302

-17.03%

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 Berry: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Berry

$1.3K 48.4% 107% $651

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Berry

$397 15.2% 16.8% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Berry

$262 10% 4.3% $12

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Berry

$327 12.5% 78.2% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Berry

$168 6.4% 52.8% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Berry

$92 3.5% 13.4% $11

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Berry

$102 3.9% 78.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,353 in Berry. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Berry, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $89.0 in Berry. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Seoul vs $397 in Berry – so Berry wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Berry

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,700

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Berry 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Berry

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 Berry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $2,612 in Berry – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $3,918 in Berry. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $89.0 in Berry. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $2,612 in Berry. That's a gap of about 46%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Berry at $2,612. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berry it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berry makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.