Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Launceston, Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,848 a month against $2,039 in Launceston, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seoul, South Korea
Launceston, Australia
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,848
/mo nomad
Launceston
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,039
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Launceston

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Seoul versus $2,039 in Launceston.

  • Seoul $1,848
  • Launceston $2,039

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,986 in Seoul versus $2,913 in Launceston.

  • Seoul $2,986
  • Launceston $2,913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,125 in Seoul versus $3,786 in Launceston.

  • Seoul $4,125
  • Launceston $3,786

Living in Seoul costs roughly 9% less than in Launceston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 36% above, Launceston 50% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seoul
Launceston
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.05 ₩12.1K
$17.35 A$24.58
-47.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.3 ₩91.6K
$74.2 A$105
-7.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.35 ₩9,851
$8.23 A$11.66
-10.69%
Cappuccino
$4.12 ₩5,520
$3.37 A$4.78
22.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 ₩2,203
$1.38 A$1.96
18.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 ₩1,081
$2.27 A$3.21
-64.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 ₩4,971
$6.47 A$9.17
-42.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 ₩8,221
$7.14 A$10.11
-14.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seoul
Launceston
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.04 ₩2,737
$1.88 A$2.67
8.51%
White Bread (500g)
$3.21 ₩4,303
$2.54 A$3.60
26.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.39 ₩5,881
$1.23 A$1.74
256.91%
Eggs
$3.59 ₩4,814
$3.70 A$5.25
-2.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.23 ₩24.4K
$10.02 A$14.19
81.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.51 ₩14.1K
$8.33 A$11.80
26.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.89 ₩36.0K
$10.31 A$14.60
160.81%
Apples (1kg)
$7.86 ₩10.5K
$2.86 A$4.05
174.83%
Banana (1kg)
$3.53 ₩4,730
$2.87 A$4.06
23.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.70 ₩7,646
$2.74 A$3.88
108.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.18 ₩8,281
$4.74 A$6.72
30.38%
Potato (1kg)
$3.76 ₩5,044
$2.04 A$2.89
84.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.51 ₩3,367
$1.39 A$1.97
80.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.82 ₩3,773
$2.56 A$3.62
10.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 ₩1,487
$0.54 A$0.76
105.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30 ₩4,424
$36.28 A$51.4
-90.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.64 ₩25.0K
$14.47 A$20.50
28.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 ₩3,242
$5.10 A$7.22
-52.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 ₩4,501
$5.43 A$7.69
-38.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Seoul
Launceston
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₩1,597
$3.52 A$4.99
-66.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.13 ₩61.8K
$55.7 A$78.9
-17.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.55 ₩4,761
$4.48 A$6.35
-20.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ₩809
$2.07 A$2.93
-71.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.08 ₩12.2K
$41.53 A$58.8
-78.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ₩1,927
$1.28 A$1.81
12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K ₩40.6M
$28.1K A$39.8K
7.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.9K ₩38.7M
$33.4K A$47.3K
-13.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
Launceston
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 ₩284.9K
$226 A$320
-6.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.83 ₩48.0K
$29.09 A$41.21
23.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.39 ₩28.7K
$53.8 A$76.3
-60.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
Launceston
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.6 ₩82.6K
$49.45 A$70.1
24.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.41 ₩22.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.42 ₩15.3K
$16.96 A$24.02
-32.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seoul
Launceston
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,948 ₩2.6M
$1,996 A$2,828
-2.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.8K ₩30.5M
$21.0K A$29.7K
8.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
Launceston
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ₩80.1K
$77.1 A$109
-22.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.19 ₩45.8K
$53.8 A$76.2
-36.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.0 ₩88.4K
$104 A$148
-36.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.9 ₩109.8K
$125 A$177
-34.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seoul
Launceston
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$924 ₩1.2M
$1,156 A$1,638
-20.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ₩883.5K
$811 A$1,149
-18.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,012 ₩4.0M
$1,616 A$2,289
86.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,440 ₩1.9M
$1,112 A$1,575
29.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$27.2K ₩36.4M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.3K ₩15.1M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seoul
Launceston
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,570 ₩4.8M
$6,644 A$9,413
-46.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.08
6
-32.00%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Launceston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seoul
$659
Launceston
$811 23.1% $152
Groceries & Markets
Seoul
$483
Launceston
$324 33% $160
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
$270
Launceston
$309 14.6% $39
Eating Out
Seoul
$184
Launceston
$265 43.8% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
$109
Launceston
$162 48.8% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
$84
Launceston
$83 1.3% $1.1
Getting Around
Seoul
$57
Launceston
$85 47.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $924 in Seoul and $1,156 in Launceston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Launceston pays 86% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Seoul vs $74 in Launceston. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $324, with Launceston cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Seoul
🇦🇺 Launceston
🕒 Local time
12:09 12:09 PM
14:09 2:09 PM
2 h ahead of Seoul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,509,458 Capital
80,943
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 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 = 0.634 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seoul Launceston 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seoul
  • Launceston

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 Launceston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Seoul or Launceston?
Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Launceston. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Seoul or in Launceston?
On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Seoul. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Seoul compared to Launceston?
Rent for a central apartment: $924 in Seoul versus $1,156 in Launceston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Seoul and in Launceston?
Dining out is cheaper in Seoul – a meal for two runs $68 versus $74 in Launceston. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Seoul compared to Launceston?
All in, you’ll spend $1,848 per month in Seoul versus $2,039 in Launceston – Seoul is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How safe is Seoul compared to Launceston?
Safety-wise, Seoul and Launceston are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Seoul or to Launceston?
It comes down to priorities – Seoul wins on affordability, Launceston on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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