Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Ipswich, Australia

Name: Ipswich
Address: Ipswich, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,848 a month against $2,055 in Ipswich, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ipswich outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Ipswich

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Ipswich

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $2,055 in Ipswich, rent included.

Seoul $1,848
Ipswich $2,055

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $2,914 in Ipswich, rent included.

Seoul $2,986
Ipswich $2,914

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $3,773 in Ipswich, rent included.

Seoul $4,125
Ipswich $3,773

Seoul is about 10% cheaper than Ipswich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and Ipswich sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Ipswich by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$32.17 A$45.57

-71.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.6K

$75.7 A$107

-9.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,851

$10.05 A$14.24

-26.87%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,520

$4.60 A$6.51

-10.43%

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

$1.64 ₩2,203

$3.76 A$5.33

-56.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,081

$2.43 A$3.44

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,971

$9.24 A$13.09

-59.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,221

$7.67 A$10.87

-20.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$2.49 A$3.53

-18.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,303

$2.41 A$3.41

33.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,881

$2.26 A$3.20

94.25%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,814

$7.19 A$10.18

-50.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.4K

$7.19 A$10.19

153.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$8.65 A$12.25

21.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.0K

$13.77 A$19.50

95.28%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$3.33 A$4.72

136.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,730

$2.70 A$3.82

30.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,646

$2.75 A$3.89

107.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,281

$3.79 A$5.37

63.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,044

$2.00 A$2.83

88.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,367

$2.06 A$2.92

21.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,773

$2.44 A$3.45

15.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,487

$1.70 A$2.41

-34.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,424

$44.66 A$63.3

-92.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$21.65 A$30.68

-13.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,242

$6.39 A$9.05

-62.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,501

$7.16 A$10.15

-53.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,597

$0.34 A$0.48

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$2.19 A$3.10

62.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩809

$1.64 A$2.33

-63.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$35.81 A$50.7

-74.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,927

$1.42 A$2.01

1.41%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

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

$28.9K ₩38.7M

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

$213 ₩284.9K

$91.8 A$130

131.62%

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

$35.83 ₩48.0K

$31.51 A$44.64

13.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$62.6 A$88.7

-65.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.6K

$17.21 A$24.37

258.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$1,045 A$1,480

-11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩883.5K

$1,025 A$1,452

-35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,403 A$1,987

114.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$1,381 A$1,956

4.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$4,151 A$5,880

-14.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.98

-31.77%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Ipswich

–

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Ipswich

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Ipswich

–

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Ipswich

–

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Ipswich

–

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Ipswich

–

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Ipswich

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $1,045 in Ipswich. 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 16% higher in Ipswich. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $76 in Ipswich. Groceries tell a different story – $483 in Seoul vs $386 in Ipswich – so Ipswich wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Ipswich

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

19:40 7:40 PM

1 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

229,208

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Ipswich 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Ipswich

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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ipswich is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $3,082 in Ipswich. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $924 there versus $1,045 in Ipswich.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Ipswich – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul and $76 in Ipswich. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Seoul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ipswich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.