Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Dandenong

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,434 in Dandenong, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dandenong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Dandenong
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Dandenong Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Dandenong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Dandenong

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,434 in Dandenong, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Dandenong $2,434

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,384 in Dandenong, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Dandenong $3,384

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,335 in Dandenong, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Dandenong $4,335

Seoul is about 26% cheaper than Dandenong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Dandenong sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Dandenong by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$17.56 A$25.27

-49.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$53.0 A$76.2

29.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$12.12 A$17.44

-37.79%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$4.05 A$5.83

4.44%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$2.29 A$3.29

-28.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$2.32 A$3.33

-68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$5.63 A$8.10

-35.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$3.45 A$4.96

78.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.56 A$2.24

28.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.45 A$3.53

27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.42 A$3.48

78.51%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$5.40 A$7.77

-33.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$8.19 A$11.79

117.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$7.61 A$10.95

37.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$11.97 A$17.23

115.54%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.55 A$5.11

115.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.85 A$4.09

18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.11 A$3.04

175.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$2.04 A$2.93

214.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.11 A$3.03

77.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.55 A$3.67

-0.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.68 A$0.98

317.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.62 A$2.32

-31.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$44.41 A$63.9

-92.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$10.25 A$14.75

80.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$5.74 A$8.25

-58.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.39 A$4.87

-0.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$4.92 A$7.07

-76.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$69.8 A$100

-33.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$4.40 A$6.33

-20.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$1.43 A$2.05

-55.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$30.22 A$43.49

-70.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.33 A$1.92

13.53%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$28.3K A$40.7K

3.53%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$24.0K A$34.6K

17.38%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$226 A$326

-3.93%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$15.83 A$22.77

122.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$41.54 A$59.8

-48.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$61.1 A$88.0

-5.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$19.38 A$27.89

-16.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$15.11 A$21.74

-25.15%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,349 A$3,380

-17.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$29.5K A$42.5K

-22.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$31.50 A$45.33

81.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$17.58 A$25.30

89.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$106 A$153

-32.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$112 A$162

-26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,216 A$1,749

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$1,246 A$1,793

-50.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,275 A$3,274

11.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,821 A$2,620

-30.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$5,766 A$8,298

410.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$5,632 A$8,105

111.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$4,228 A$6,083

-13.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.9

-30.85%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dandenong: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Dandenong

$1.2K 51.2% 104% $634

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Dandenong

$313 12.9% 34.4% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Dandenong

$284 11.7% 3.6% $9.8

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Dandenong

$279 11.5% 51.8% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Dandenong

$120 4.9% 9.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Dandenong

$91 3.8% 13.2% $11

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Dandenong

$101 4.2% 76.2% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,216 in Dandenong. 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 16% higher in Dandenong, 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 $53.0 in Dandenong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $313 – making Dandenong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Dandenong

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

08:49 8:49 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

30,127

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Dandenong 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Dandenong

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 Dandenong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dandenong is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $3,651 in Dandenong. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 52% cheaper in Dandenong – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $53.0 in Dandenong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Dandenong at $2,434. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dandenong 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, Dandenong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.