Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Castle Hill

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,454 in Castle Hill, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Castle Hill
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Castle Hill Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Castle Hill

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Castle 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 Castle Hill actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,454 in Castle Hill, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Castle Hill $2,454

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,507 in Castle Hill, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Castle Hill $3,507

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,560 in Castle Hill, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Castle Hill $4,560

Seoul is about 27% cheaper than Castle Hill, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Castle Hill sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Castle Hill by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$14.49 A$20.86

-39.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$66.4 A$95.5

2.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$10.80 A$15.54

-30.19%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.89 A$5.59

8.74%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$2.83 A$4.08

-42.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$2.26 A$3.25

-67.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$7.68 A$11.05

-52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$7.59 A$10.92

-18.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.52 A$2.19

32.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.43 A$3.50

28.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$4.23 A$6.09

2.13%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$5.84 A$8.41

-38.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$9.29 A$13.38

91.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$9.38 A$13.50

11.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$14.70 A$21.15

75.51%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.90 A$5.61

96.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.97 A$4.28

13.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.19 A$4.58

82.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$4.53 A$6.52

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.74 A$3.94

36.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.42 A$3.49

4.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.34 A$3.37

21.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.53 A$2.21

-27.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$41.86 A$60.2

-92.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$12.23 A$17.60

51.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$4.79 A$6.90

-49.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$5.17 A$7.44

-34.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$2.84 A$4.08

-59.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$82.0 A$118

-43.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.22 A$4.64

8.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$1.69 A$2.43

-62.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$37.64 A$54.2

-76.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.40 A$2.01

7.86%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$28.3K A$40.8K

3.33%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$31.7K A$45.7K

-11.13%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$197 A$283

10.61%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$27.19 A$39.12

29.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$55.5 A$79.8

-61.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$55.6 A$80.0

4.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$17.89 A$25.75

-10.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$14.79 A$21.29

-23.53%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,149 A$3,092

-9.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$23.0K A$33.1K

-0.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$75.8 A$109

-24.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$54.4 A$78.3

-38.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$109 A$156

-34.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$123 A$178

-33.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,379 A$1,984

-34.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$1,182 A$1,700

-48.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,130 A$3,065

18.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,781 A$2,563

-28.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$5,945 A$8,555

394.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$5,361 A$7,715

122.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩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 11, 2026

Last update for Castle Hill: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Castle Hill

$1.2K 48.2% 93.1% $570

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Castle Hill

$371 15.1% 22.2% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Castle Hill

$279 11.4% 2% $5.4

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Castle Hill

$269 11% 46.3% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Castle Hill

$163 6.6% 48.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Castle Hill

$85 3.5% 5.5% $4.5

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Castle Hill

$105 4.3% 83.2% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,379 in Castle Hill. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $66.0 in Castle Hill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $371 – making Castle Hill the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Castle Hill

🕒 Local time

04:59 4:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

39,284

💱 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 Castle Hill 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Castle 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 Castle Hill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $2,454 in Castle Hill – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $3,681 in Castle Hill. 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 $66.0 in Castle Hill. 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 $2,454 in Castle Hill. That's a gap of about 37%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Castle Hill at $2,454. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castle Hill 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, Castle Hill makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.