Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Esperance

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,499 in Esperance, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Esperance
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Esperance Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Esperance

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Esperance

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $2,499 in Esperance, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Esperance $2,499

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $3,601 in Esperance, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Esperance $3,601

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $4,703 in Esperance, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Esperance $4,703

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

Both Seoul and Esperance sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Esperance by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$17.21 A$24.72

-47.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$84.8 A$122

-20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$10.35 A$14.86

-28.31%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$3.97 A$5.71

2.77%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$2.83 A$4.07

-43.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$2.19 A$3.15

-63.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$7.52 A$10.80

-51.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$7.86 A$11.30

-24.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$1.68 A$2.41

22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$2.77 A$3.98

11.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$2.17 A$3.12

94.01%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$5.00 A$7.19

-28.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$9.69 A$13.92

85.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$9.02 A$12.96

17.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$15.03 A$21.59

75.91%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$3.68 A$5.28

101.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$3.00 A$4.30

17.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$3.28 A$4.71

78.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$4.76 A$6.83

33.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$2.67 A$3.84

40.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$2.38 A$3.42

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$2.44 A$3.50

19.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$1.64 A$2.36

-29.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$38.25 A$54.9

-91.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$13.91 A$19.98

32.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

$4.82 A$6.93

-52.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

$5.26 A$7.55

-37.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$3.05 A$4.38

-62.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$80.8 A$116

-43.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$3.60 A$5.18

-3.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$1.63 A$2.34

-63.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$40.54 A$58.2

-78.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.22 A$1.76

22.95%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$27.4K A$39.4K

6.17%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$30.6K A$43.9K

-7.80%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$210 A$302

-0.69%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$27.69 A$39.78

26.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$56.0 A$80.4

-62.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$55.8 A$80.2

2.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$18.12 A$26.03

-12.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$15.27 A$21.94

-25.80%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$2,170 A$3,117

-12.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$20.2K A$29.0K

11.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$78.0 A$112

-24.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$53.7 A$77.1

-40.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$109 A$156

-35.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$125 A$179

-33.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,403 A$2,015

-36.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$1,173 A$1,685

-46.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,116 A$3,040

17.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,795 A$2,578

-28.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$5,784 A$8,309

415.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$4,940 A$7,096

139.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$3,464 A$4,976

5.34%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Esperance: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Esperance

$1.2K 47.3% 88.1% $549

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Esperance

$370 14.9% 22.7% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Esperance

$294 11.8% 10.9% $29

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Esperance

$290 11.7% 57.7% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Esperance

$164 6.6% 49.8% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Esperance

$86 3.5% 8% $6.4

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Esperance

$105 4.2% 85.4% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $1,403 in Esperance. 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 5% higher in Seoul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Seoul versus $85.0 in Esperance. Groceries tell a different story – $479 in Seoul vs $370 in Esperance – so Esperance wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Esperance

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

14:21 2:21 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

10,218

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Esperance 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Esperance

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 Esperance: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,822 in Seoul, $2,499 in Esperance – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $3,749 in Esperance. 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 $67.0 in Seoul and $85.0 in Esperance. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,822 in Seoul and $2,499 in Esperance. That's a gap of about 37%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,822, than in Esperance at $2,499. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Esperance 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, Esperance makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.