Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Double Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,632 in Double Bay, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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 Double Bay
Learn more

Double Bay Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Double Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Double Bay

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,632 in Double Bay, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Double Bay $2,632

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,645 in Double Bay, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Double Bay $3,645

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,658 in Double Bay, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Double Bay $4,658

Seoul is about 32% cheaper than Double Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Double Bay sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Double Bay by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$17.07 A$24.46

-48.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$88.3 A$127

-22.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$10.63 A$15.23

-29.07%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,672

$3.91 A$5.61

8.18%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$2.86 A$4.09

-43.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$2.26 A$3.24

-67.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$7.59 A$10.87

-52.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$7.38 A$10.57

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.52 A$2.18

32.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$2.91 A$4.16

7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$2.41 A$3.46

79.25%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$5.32 A$7.62

-32.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$11.84 A$16.96

50.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$9.71 A$13.91

7.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$15.05 A$21.55

71.43%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$3.89 A$5.57

96.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$3.06 A$4.38

10.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,789

$3.40 A$4.87

70.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,592

$4.46 A$6.39

43.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,025

$3.05 A$4.37

22.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,404

$2.41 A$3.45

5.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$2.26 A$3.23

25.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$1.17 A$1.67

-5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$45.16 A$64.7

-92.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$14.16 A$20.29

30.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$4.01 A$5.75

-40.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$3.93 A$5.63

-14.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$2.59 A$3.71

-55.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$91.5 A$131

-49.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$3.44 A$4.93

1.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$1.63 A$2.34

-61.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$39.42 A$56.5

-77.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.37 A$1.96

10.22%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$27.2K A$38.9K

7.70%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$30.2K A$43.2K

-6.56%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$179 A$256

21.51%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$26.22 A$37.56

34.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$55.2 A$79.0

-61.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$57.9 A$82.9

0.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$20.07 A$28.76

-19.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$15.47 A$22.16

-26.89%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,224 A$3,186

-12.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$20.4K A$29.3K

11.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$77.3 A$111

-26.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$56.5 A$80.9

-40.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$109 A$156

-34.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$133 A$190

-37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,561 A$2,236

-42.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.4K

$1,340 A$1,920

-54.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,907 A$2,731

32.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,697 A$2,431

-25.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$5,994 A$8,586

390.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$4,428 A$6,344

168.79%

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 Double Bay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Double Bay

$1.3K 50.9% 119% $728

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Double Bay

$371 14.1% 22.1% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Double Bay

$260 9.9% 5% $14

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Double Bay

$289 11% 57% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Double Bay

$169 6.4% 53.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Double Bay

$89 3.4% 10.1% $8.2

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Double Bay

$113 4.3% 97.9% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,561 in Double Bay. 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 $88.0 in Double Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Seoul vs $371 in Double Bay – so Double Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Double Bay

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

4,651

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.68 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,497 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.68 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Double Bay 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Double Bay

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 Double Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Double Bay is pricier by about 47%, 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 $3,947 in Double Bay. 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 $88.0 in Double Bay. 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 $2,632 in Double Bay. That's a gap of about 47%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Double Bay at $2,632. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Double Bay 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, Double Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.