Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Devonport

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,526 in Devonport, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Devonport
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Devonport Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Devonport

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Devonport

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,526 in Devonport.

Seoul $1,822
Devonport $2,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $3,613 in Devonport.

Seoul $2,847
Devonport $3,613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $4,700 in Devonport.

Seoul $3,872
Devonport $4,700

Living in Seoul costs roughly 28% less than in Devonport, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 36% above, Devonport 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$17.82 A$25.50

-48.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$85.7 A$123

-21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$8.38 A$11.99

-11.46%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$3.94 A$5.64

3.55%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$2.09 A$3.00

-23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$1.80 A$2.58

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$7.17 A$10.26

-49.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$9.22 A$13.19

-35.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.82 A$2.61

12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$2.40 A$3.43

28.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.85 A$2.64

127.57%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$5.32 A$7.61

-32.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$9.57 A$13.69

87.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$8.49 A$12.15

25.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$12.76 A$18.27

107.21%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.21 A$4.59

131.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$3.23 A$4.62

9.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$2.92 A$4.19

101.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$4.57 A$6.54

39.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$2.63 A$3.77

42.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.19 A$3.14

13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$2.61 A$3.74

11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.67 A$2.39

-31.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$35.40 A$50.7

-90.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$13.85 A$19.82

33.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$5.02 A$7.18

-54.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$5.40 A$7.72

-39.26%

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

$88.2 A$126

-48.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$4.57 A$6.54

-23.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$2.10 A$3.00

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$26.47 A$37.87

-67.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.23 A$1.76

21.95%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$26.8K A$38.4K

8.53%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$39.0K A$55.8K

-27.72%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$222 A$318

-6.01%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$28.47 A$40.74

23.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$61.2 A$87.6

-65.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$49.19 A$70.4

16.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$20.12 A$28.80

-21.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$16.70 A$23.91

-32.16%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$2,010 A$2,876

-5.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$21.2K A$30.4K

6.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$78.6 A$113

-25.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$53.5 A$76.5

-39.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$107 A$153

-34.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$127 A$182

-35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,558 A$2,229

-43.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$1,085 A$1,553

-42.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,106 A$3,014

18.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,624 A$2,324

-21.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$5,240 A$7,499

469.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$4,884 A$6,989

142.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$3,240 A$4,637

12.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.2

-34.19%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Devonport: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Devonport

$1.1K 45.2% 74% $461

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Devonport

$357 14.9% 25.6% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Devonport

$312 13% 17.6% $47

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Devonport

$285 11.9% 55% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Devonport

$165 6.9% 50.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Devonport

$83 3.4% 3.3% $2.6

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Devonport

$115 4.8% 103% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $1,558 in Devonport. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $86.0 in Devonport. Groceries flip the comparison at $479 vs $357, with Devonport cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Devonport

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

17:00 5:00 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

24,591

💱 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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Between locations

Seoul Devonport 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Devonport

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 Devonport: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Devonport differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,822 vs $2,526 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $1,558 in Devonport. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seoul – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $86.0 in Devonport. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,822 per month in Seoul versus $2,526 in Devonport – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,526 in Devonport, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Devonport. 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 Devonport 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 Devonport. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.