Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Canberra

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,791 in Canberra, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Canberra

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $2,791 in Canberra, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Canberra $2,791

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $3,958 in Canberra, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Canberra $3,958

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $5,125 in Canberra, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Canberra $5,125

Seoul is about 35% cheaper than Canberra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and Canberra sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Canberra by 108%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$17.14 A$24.53

-46.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$88.3 A$126

-24.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$10.50 A$15.03

-29.33%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$3.94 A$5.63

3.55%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$3.17 A$4.54

-49.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$2.63 A$3.76

-69.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$8.32 A$11.90

-56.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$9.73 A$13.93

-38.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.50 A$2.14

36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$3.21 A$4.60

-4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$2.64 A$3.78

59.47%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$5.25 A$7.51

-32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$13.07 A$18.71

37.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$10.16 A$14.54

4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$15.48 A$22.15

70.80%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.93 A$5.63

88.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$3.09 A$4.43

14.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$3.59 A$5.14

63.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$5.09 A$7.28

25.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$3.05 A$4.36

22.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.77 A$3.96

-10.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$2.46 A$3.51

18.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.64 A$2.34

-29.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$44.29 A$63.4

-92.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$14.17 A$20.28

30.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$4.80 A$6.87

-52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$5.65 A$8.08

-41.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$2.86 A$4.09

-60.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$93.0 A$133

-51.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$3.96 A$5.67

-12.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$1.63 A$2.33

-63.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$42.39 A$60.7

-79.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.31 A$1.87

14.50%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$27.4K A$39.3K

6.10%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$29.3K A$41.9K

-3.73%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$179 A$256

16.62%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$26.92 A$38.53

30.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$54.9 A$78.5

-61.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$83.2 A$119

-31.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$27.11 A$38.80

-41.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$15.51 A$22.20

-26.95%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$2,382 A$3,410

-20.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$20.0K A$28.7K

12.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$76.6 A$110

-23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$55.4 A$79.3

-42.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$115 A$164

-38.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$132 A$189

-37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,711 A$2,449

-48.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$1,467 A$2,100

-57.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$3,098 A$4,433

-19.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,968 A$2,816

-35.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$11.2K A$16.0K

167.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$7,417 A$10.6K

59.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$4,310 A$6,168

-15.34%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Canberra: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8% 135% $844

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Canberra

$401 14.2% 16.3% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Canberra

$261 9.2% 1.6% $4.3

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Canberra

$300 10.6% 63.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Canberra

$171 6% 55.5% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Canberra

$114 4% 42.8% $34

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Canberra

$117 4.1% 106% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $1,711 in Canberra. 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 18% higher in Canberra, 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $88.0 in Canberra. Groceries tell a different story – $479 in Seoul vs $401 in Canberra – so Canberra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Canberra

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

18:29 6:29 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

466,566 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Canberra 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Canberra

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 Canberra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,822 in Seoul, $2,791 in Canberra – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $4,187 in Canberra. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,822 in Seoul and $2,791 in Canberra. That's a gap of about 53%.

Public transport costs about 105% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,822, than in Canberra at $2,791. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canberra 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, Canberra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.