Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Gosford

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,772 in Gosford, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Gosford
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Gosford Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Gosford

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Gosford

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,772 in Gosford, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Gosford $2,772

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,867 in Gosford, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Gosford $3,867

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,961 in Gosford, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Gosford $4,961

Seoul is about 35% cheaper than Gosford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Gosford sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Gosford by 105%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$17.31 A$24.80

-49.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$82.3 A$118

-16.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$10.46 A$14.98

-27.92%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,672

$3.49 A$5.01

21.20%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$3.19 A$4.58

-48.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$2.17 A$3.10

-65.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$5.72 A$8.19

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$6.85 A$9.82

-10.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.15 A$1.64

74.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$3.92 A$5.62

-20.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$2.14 A$3.07

101.87%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$3.97 A$5.69

-9.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$9.29 A$13.31

91.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$9.41 A$13.48

11.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$11.90 A$17.05

116.81%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$2.94 A$4.21

160.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$2.57 A$3.68

31.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,789

$3.37 A$4.83

72.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,592

$4.57 A$6.54

40.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,025

$2.31 A$3.31

62.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,404

$2.08 A$2.97

22.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$2.01 A$2.89

41.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$1.75 A$2.50

-36.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$28.30 A$40.54

-88.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$11.61 A$16.63

59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$7.38 A$10.57

-67.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$4.80 A$6.88

-29.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$3.54 A$5.07

-67.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$150 A$215

-69.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.37 A$1.97

10.22%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$21.0K A$30.2K

39.07%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$24.1K A$34.5K

17.17%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$235 A$337

-7.41%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$27.73 A$39.72

26.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$50.1 A$71.8

-57.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$66.8 A$95.6

-13.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$20.91 A$29.96

-23.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$11.78 A$16.87

-3.99%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$842 A$1,206

131.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$70.2 A$101

-18.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$62.6 A$89.7

-46.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$103 A$148

-30.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$107 A$154

-23.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,984 A$2,842

-54.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.4K

$1,412 A$2,023

-56.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,245 A$3,216

12.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,975 A$2,829

-35.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,974 A$4,260

22.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.23

-21.99%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gosford: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Gosford

$1.4K 51% 131% $801

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Gosford

$362 13.1% 24.1% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Gosford

$313 11.3% 14.2% $39

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Gosford

$276 9.9% 49.9% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Gosford

$155 5.6% 40.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Gosford

$90 3.3% 11.9% $9.6

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Gosford

$164 * 5.9% 187% $107

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,984 in Gosford. 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 23% 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $82.0 in Gosford. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Seoul vs $362 in Gosford – so Gosford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Gosford

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

10:04 10:04 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

4,873

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 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 = 1,501 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 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 = 0.624 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Gosford 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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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 Gosford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $2,772 in Gosford – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $4,158 in Gosford. 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $842 in Gosford. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 32% cheaper in Gosford – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Gosford at $2,772. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gosford 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, Gosford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.