Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Epping

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,717 in Epping, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Epping
Learn more

Epping Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Epping

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Epping

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,717 in Epping.

Seoul $1,822
Epping $2,717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $3,754 in Epping.

Seoul $2,847
Epping $3,754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $4,791 in Epping.

Seoul $3,872
Epping $4,791

Living in Seoul costs roughly 33% less than in Epping, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 36% above, Epping 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$12.68 A$18.14

-28.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$63.1 A$90.3

6.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$11.43 A$16.36

-35.08%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$3.21 A$4.60

27.10%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$2.45 A$3.50

-34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$2.51 A$3.60

-68.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$8.30 A$11.87

-56.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$8.32 A$11.91

-28.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.60 A$2.29

28.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$2.80 A$4.00

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$2.78 A$3.98

51.44%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$5.59 A$8.00

-36.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$10.13 A$14.50

77.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$9.57 A$13.69

11.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$14.99 A$21.45

76.38%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.72 A$5.32

99.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.87 A$4.11

23.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$2.45 A$3.51

139.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$3.58 A$5.13

77.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$3.04 A$4.35

23.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.43 A$3.47

2.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$1.97 A$2.82

48.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.60 A$2.29

-28.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$27.60 A$39.50

-88.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$8.37 A$11.98

120.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$4.48 A$6.41

-49.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$4.84 A$6.93

-32.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$3.59 A$5.14

-68.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$94.3 A$135

-51.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$3.55 A$5.08

-1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$1.16 A$1.66

-48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$28.13 A$40.25

-69.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.43 A$2.05

4.90%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$21.2K A$30.3K

37.58%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$18.3K A$26.1K

54.39%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$142 A$203

47.35%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$28.25 A$40.42

24.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$46.91 A$67.1

-54.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$55.5 A$79.5

3.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$17.85 A$25.55

-10.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$14.06 A$20.12

-19.42%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$1,801 A$2,577

5.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$22.2K A$31.8K

1.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$62.4 A$89.4

-5.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$49.94 A$71.5

-35.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$111 A$159

-37.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$104 A$149

-21.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,482 A$2,121

-40.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$1,489 A$2,131

-58.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,342 A$3,352

6.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$2,190 A$3,134

-41.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$5,891 A$8,430

406.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$5,001 A$7,157

136.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$4,231 A$6,055

-13.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.5

-25.82%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Epping: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Epping

$1.5K 56% 139% $866

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Epping

$354 13.3% 26.1% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Epping

$217 8.2% 18.2% $48

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Epping

$252 9.5% 37.3% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Epping

$148 5.6% 34.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Epping

$84 3.1% 4.6% $3.7

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Epping

$118 4.4% 109% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $1,482 in Epping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Epping pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $63.0 in Epping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $354 per month, with Epping cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Epping

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

17:00 5:00 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

23,435

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Epping 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Epping

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 Epping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Epping. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Epping. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $1,482 in Epping. 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 $63.0 in Epping. 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 $2,717 in Epping – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,717 in Epping, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Epping. 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 Epping 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 49% less than in Epping. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.