Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Hobart

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,691 in Hobart, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Hobart
Learn more

Hobart Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Hobart

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Hobart

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $2,691 in Hobart, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Hobart $2,691

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $3,700 in Hobart, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Hobart $3,700

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $4,710 in Hobart, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Hobart $4,710

Seoul is about 32% cheaper than Hobart, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and Hobart sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Hobart by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$18.57 A$26.57

-51.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$91.6 A$131

-26.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$10.43 A$14.92

-28.86%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$3.88 A$5.56

5.15%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$3.50 A$5.01

-54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$2.23 A$3.19

-64.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$8.44 A$12.08

-56.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$9.52 A$13.63

-37.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.84 A$2.64

11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$2.52 A$3.60

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.88 A$2.69

123.94%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$5.24 A$7.49

-31.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$9.81 A$14.04

82.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$8.46 A$12.11

25.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$17.45 A$24.97

51.52%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.05 A$4.36

143.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$3.24 A$4.63

8.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$3.04 A$4.34

93.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$4.57 A$6.55

39.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$2.53 A$3.62

48.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.16 A$3.09

15.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$2.56 A$3.66

14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.66 A$2.38

-30.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$36.51 A$52.3

-90.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$14.77 A$21.14

25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$4.96 A$7.10

-54.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$5.48 A$7.85

-40.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$3.02 A$4.33

-62.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$97.9 A$140

-53.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$4.57 A$6.54

-23.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$2.04 A$2.93

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$41.13 A$58.9

-78.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.31 A$1.87

14.50%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$27.2K A$38.9K

7.06%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$39.0K A$55.8K

-27.67%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$224 A$320

-6.71%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$29.07 A$41.60

20.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$60.5 A$86.7

-65.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$36.85 A$52.7

55.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$12.64 A$18.08

25.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$16.85 A$24.12

-32.76%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$1,966 A$2,814

-3.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$21.1K A$30.1K

6.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$77.1 A$110

-23.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$53.4 A$76.5

-39.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$106 A$152

-33.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$127 A$181

-34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,826 A$2,613

-51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$1,350 A$1,933

-53.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,112 A$3,022

18.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,613 A$2,309

-20.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$9,210 A$13.2K

224.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$6,813 A$9,750

73.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$4,150 A$5,939

-12.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.2

-34.19%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Hobart: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Hobart

$1.4K 49.9% 117% $727

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Hobart

$373 13.8% 22.1% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Hobart

$314 11.6% 18.2% $48

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Hobart

$311 11.5% 69% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Hobart

$164 6.1% 49.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Hobart

$71 2.6% 11.8% $9.4

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Hobart

$125 4.6% 121% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $1,826 in Hobart. 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 14% higher in Hobart, 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $92.0 in Hobart. Groceries tell a different story – $479 in Seoul vs $373 in Hobart – so Hobart wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Hobart

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

197,451

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Hobart 9,180 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Hobart

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 Hobart: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hobart costs about 48% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $4,036 in Hobart. 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 28% cheaper in Hobart – 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 $67.0 in Seoul and $92.0 in Hobart. 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 $1,822, than in Hobart at $2,691. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hobart 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, Hobart makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.