Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Broken Hill

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,528 in Broken Hill, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Broken Hill
Learn more

Broken Hill Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Broken Hill

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Broken Hill

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,528 in Broken Hill.

Seoul $1,822
Broken Hill $2,528

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $3,595 in Broken Hill.

Seoul $2,847
Broken Hill $3,595

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $4,662 in Broken Hill.

Seoul $3,872
Broken Hill $4,662

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 36% above, Broken Hill 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$19.24 A$27.63

-52.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$87.4 A$126

-23.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$10.70 A$15.37

-30.65%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$4.39 A$6.30

-7.06%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$2.84 A$4.08

-43.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$2.18 A$3.14

-63.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$6.53 A$9.37

-44.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$8.79 A$12.62

-32.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$1.42 A$2.04

44.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$2.48 A$3.57

24.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$2.33 A$3.34

80.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$5.02 A$7.21

-28.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$8.78 A$12.62

104.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$8.33 A$11.97

27.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$15.89 A$22.83

66.39%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$4.43 A$6.36

67.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$2.63 A$3.78

34.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$3.65 A$5.24

60.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$4.95 A$7.10

28.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$2.37 A$3.41

58.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$2.23 A$3.20

11.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$2.50 A$3.59

16.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$1.75 A$2.51

-34.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$43.62 A$62.7

-92.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$12.81 A$18.40

44.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

$4.54 A$6.51

-49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

$4.72 A$6.79

-30.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$2.88 A$4.14

-60.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$89.0 A$128

-48.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$3.17 A$4.55

9.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$1.39 A$2.00

-56.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$44.43 A$63.8

-80.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.34 A$1.92

11.94%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$25.2K A$36.2K

15.67%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$29.3K A$42.1K

-3.81%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$218 A$313

-4.11%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$31.10 A$44.68

12.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$50.2 A$72.1

-57.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$61.3 A$88.0

-6.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$19.54 A$28.07

-18.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$12.84 A$18.44

-11.76%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$2,450 A$3,519

-22.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$22.1K A$31.7K

2.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$81.2 A$117

-27.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$62.4 A$89.7

-48.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$107 A$153

-34.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$135 A$194

-38.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,464 A$2,103

-39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$1,124 A$1,614

-44.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$1,828 A$2,625

36.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,954 A$2,807

-34.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$5,374 A$7,720

455.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$5,529 A$7,941

114.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

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 4, 2026

Last update for Broken Hill: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Broken Hill

$1.1K 45.6% 80.2% $500

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Broken Hill

$362 14.7% 24.5% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Broken Hill

$299 12.1% 12.8% $34

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Broken Hill

$309 12.5% 68.1% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Broken Hill

$173 7% 58.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Broken Hill

$87 3.5% 8.7% $6.9

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Broken Hill

$111 4.5% 95.8% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $1,464 in Broken Hill. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $87.0 in Broken Hill. Groceries flip the comparison at $479 vs $362, with Broken Hill cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Broken Hill

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

17:47 5:47 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

17,456

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Broken Hill 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Broken Hill

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 Broken Hill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,733 in Seoul and $3,792 in Broken Hill to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $1,464 in Broken Hill. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,902 in Seoul versus $2,450 in Broken Hill. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Broken Hill pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,528 in Broken Hill, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Broken Hill. 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 Broken Hill 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 Broken Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.