Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Frankston

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,361 in Frankston, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Frankston outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Frankston
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Frankston Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Frankston

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Frankston

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,361 in Frankston, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Frankston $2,361

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,320 in Frankston, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Frankston $3,320

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,278 in Frankston, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Frankston $4,278

Seoul is about 24% cheaper than Frankston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Frankston sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Frankston by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$14.79 A$21.28

-40.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.2K

$60.0 A$86.4

13.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$10.24 A$14.74

-26.37%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,644

$2.74 A$3.95

54.38%

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

$1.63 ₩2,175

$3.05 A$4.38

-46.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩988

$2.11 A$3.03

-64.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,860

$9.51 A$13.69

-61.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,203

$6.99 A$10.06

-12.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,688

$1.56 A$2.25

28.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,178

$2.55 A$3.68

22.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,764

$2.10 A$3.02

105.71%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,810

$3.79 A$5.45

-4.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.8K

$10.53 A$15.15

69.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$9.66 A$13.91

8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.4K

$7.85 A$11.30

228.66%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.62 A$3.77

192.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,514

$3.01 A$4.33

12.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,750

$2.72 A$3.91

113.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,549

$2.81 A$4.04

128.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,000

$2.99 A$4.30

25.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,387

$2.53 A$3.64

0.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$2.39 A$3.44

18.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,477

$1.40 A$2.02

-20.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,470

$42.29 A$60.9

-92.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.7K

$6.19 A$8.90

198.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,196

$3.09 A$4.45

-22.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,495

$4.11 A$5.91

-18.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$3.41 A$4.91

-66.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.5K

$81.5 A$117

-43.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,660

$4.46 A$6.42

-21.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩843

$1.37 A$1.97

-54.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$30.40 A$43.74

-70.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,012

$1.20 A$1.73

25.83%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$28.7K A$41.3K

1.93%

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

$28.2K ₩37.6M

$26.2K A$37.7K

7.72%

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

$218 ₩290.2K

$228 A$328

-4.70%

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

$35.15 ₩46.9K

$10.55 A$15.18

233.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.4K

$55.0 A$79.1

-61.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.5K

$55.0 A$79.2

5.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.5K

$17.90 A$25.76

-10.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.1K

$15.52 A$22.34

-27.13%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,391 A$3,441

-18.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.5M

$30.0K A$43.2K

-23.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.1K

$79.0 A$114

-27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.5K

$49.82 A$71.7

-32.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.4K

$85.9 A$124

-16.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.1K

$48.85 A$70.3

68.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,374 A$1,978

-34.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.3K

$1,191 A$1,714

-48.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,167 A$3,118

16.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,792 A$2,578

-29.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.3M

$6,300 A$9,066

366.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.9M

$5,043 A$7,257

136.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$4,335 A$6,237

-15.79%

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 Frankston: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Frankston

$1.2K 50.5% 94.7% $579

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Frankston

$301 12.7% 36.9% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Frankston

$294 12.4% 7.2% $20

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Frankston

$264 11.2% 43.7% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Frankston

$119 5% 7.8% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Frankston

$86 3.6% 6.7% $5.4

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Frankston

$106 4.5% 85.6% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,374 in Frankston. 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 19% higher in Frankston, 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 $60.0 in Frankston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $301 – making Frankston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Frankston

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

08:55 8:55 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

37,331

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 Frankston 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Frankston

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 Frankston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Frankston is pricier by about 32%, 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 $3,541 in Frankston. 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 59% cheaper in Frankston – 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 $60.0 in Frankston. 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 Frankston at $2,361. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Frankston 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, Frankston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.