Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Lake Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,211 in Lake Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lake Macquarie outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Lake Macquarie
Learn more

Lake Macquarie Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Lake Macquarie

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,211 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Lake Macquarie $2,211

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,516 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Lake Macquarie $3,516

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,821 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Lake Macquarie $4,821

Seoul is about 19% cheaper than Lake Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Lake Macquarie sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Lake Macquarie by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$17.09 A$24.48

-48.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$85.1 A$122

-19.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$10.24 A$14.67

-26.37%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,672

$3.58 A$5.13

18.16%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$3.12 A$4.47

-47.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$2.07 A$2.97

-64.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$7.07 A$10.12

-48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$7.10 A$10.17

-13.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.15 A$1.65

74.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$1.45 A$2.08

115.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$1.61 A$2.31

168.32%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$3.13 A$4.48

15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$7.95 A$11.39

124.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$7.47 A$10.70

39.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$12.57 A$18.01

105.25%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$3.01 A$4.32

154.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$2.57 A$3.69

31.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,789

$2.54 A$3.64

128.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,592

$3.73 A$5.35

71.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,025

$2.29 A$3.28

63.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,404

$2.08 A$2.98

22.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$1.71 A$2.46

66.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$1.59 A$2.27

-30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$28.25 A$40.47

-88.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$8.05 A$11.53

129.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$2.80 A$4.02

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$2.27 A$3.25

48.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$2.58 A$3.70

-55.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$80.5 A$115

-42.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$2.11 A$3.02

65.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$3.10 A$4.44

-79.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$58.4 A$83.7

-84.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.38 A$1.97

9.42%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$27.6K A$39.6K

5.91%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$24.7K A$35.4K

14.22%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$231 A$331

-5.80%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$10.95 A$15.69

221.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$41.65 A$59.7

-48.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$54.6 A$78.3

6.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$17.33 A$24.83

-7.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$9.41 A$13.47

20.19%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$1,486 A$2,128

31.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$18.6K A$26.6K

22.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$69.8 A$100.0

-18.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$35.77 A$51.2

-6.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$97.0 A$139

-26.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$108 A$154

-23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,375 A$1,970

-34.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.4K

$1,051 A$1,505

-41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,182 A$3,125

15.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$2,210 A$3,166

-42.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$5,048 A$7,232

482.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$5,001 A$7,164

138.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$5,002 A$7,166

-27.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.35

-6.21%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lake Macquarie: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Lake Macquarie

$1.1K 47.5% 71.7% $439

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Lake Macquarie

$275 12.4% 42.4% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Lake Macquarie

$284 12.8% 3.5% $9.6

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Lake Macquarie

$281 12.7% 52.7% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Lake Macquarie

$140 6.3% 27% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Lake Macquarie

$73 3.3% 9% $7.2

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Lake Macquarie

$108 4.9% 89.1% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,375 in Lake Macquarie. 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 37% higher in Lake Macquarie, 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 $85.0 in Lake Macquarie. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Seoul vs $275 in Lake Macquarie – so Lake Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Lake Macquarie

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

11:01 11:01 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,059

💱 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 14, 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 14, 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 Lake Macquarie 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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Lake Macquarie

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 Lake Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lake Macquarie is pricier by about 23%, 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 $3,317 in Lake Macquarie. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $2,211 in Lake Macquarie. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Lake Macquarie at $2,211. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lake Macquarie 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, Lake Macquarie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.