Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Mandurah

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,351 in Mandurah, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,794
/mo nomad
Mandurah
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,351
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Mandurah

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,351 in Mandurah, rent included.

  • Seoul $1,794
  • Mandurah $2,351

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,455 in Mandurah, rent included.

  • Seoul $2,863
  • Mandurah $3,455

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,558 in Mandurah, rent included.

  • Seoul $3,931
  • Mandurah $4,558

Seoul is about 24% cheaper than Mandurah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Mandurah sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Mandurah by 74%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seoul
Mandurah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.80 ₩11.8K
$20.01 A$28.66
-56.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.4 ₩91.7K
$83.0 A$119
-17.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₩10.1K
$10.49 A$15.02
-28.12%
Cappuccino
$4.23 ₩5,672
$4.34 A$6.22
-2.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₩2,186
$2.92 A$4.18
-44.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 ₩993
$2.21 A$3.17
-66.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.64 ₩4,885
$6.09 A$8.73
-40.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.15 ₩8,245
$8.54 A$12.23
-27.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seoul
Mandurah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.01 ₩2,702
$1.77 A$2.53
13.56%
White Bread (500g)
$3.13 ₩4,200
$2.59 A$3.71
20.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.32 ₩5,793
$1.97 A$2.82
119.29%
Eggs
$3.61 ₩4,835
$4.81 A$6.89
-24.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.83 ₩23.9K
$9.39 A$13.45
89.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 ₩14.0K
$9.42 A$13.50
10.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.80 ₩34.6K
$14.07 A$20.16
83.37%
Apples (1kg)
$7.66 ₩10.3K
$3.33 A$4.77
130.03%
Banana (1kg)
$3.38 ₩4,537
$3.07 A$4.39
10.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.81 ₩7,789
$3.47 A$4.97
67.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.41 ₩8,592
$4.90 A$7.02
30.82%
Potato (1kg)
$3.75 ₩5,025
$1.68 A$2.41
123.21%
Onion (1kg)
$2.54 ₩3,404
$0.82 A$1.18
209.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.84 ₩3,815
$2.01 A$2.87
41.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 ₩1,485
$1.38 A$1.98
-19.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.35 ₩4,493
$42.22 A$60.5
-92.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.49 ₩24.8K
$12.30 A$17.62
50.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 ₩3,213
$4.35 A$6.24
-44.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 ₩4,518
$3.52 A$5.04
-4.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Seoul
Mandurah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.14 ₩1,534
$3.75 A$5.37
-69.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.11 ₩61.8K
$90.6 A$130
-49.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.49 ₩4,683
$3.55 A$5.09
-1.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.63 ₩847
$1.44 A$2.06
-56.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₩11.9K
$40.41 A$57.9
-78.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 ₩2,023
$1.28 A$1.84
17.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K ₩39.3M
$27.5K A$39.4K
6.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K ₩37.8M
$29.9K A$42.8K
-5.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
Mandurah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$218 ₩291.7K
$195 A$279
11.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.15 ₩47.1K
$20.91 A$29.96
68.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.29 ₩28.5K
$61.0 A$87.4
-65.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
Mandurah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.1 ₩77.9K
$33.81 A$48.44
71.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.10 ₩21.6K
$10.60 A$15.18
51.89%
Cinema Ticket
$11.31 ₩15.2K
$8.56 A$12.26
32.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seoul
Mandurah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,948 ₩2.6M
$386 A$552
405.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.9K ₩30.7M
$22.8K A$32.7K
0.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
Mandurah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.0 ₩76.5K
$77.5 A$111
-26.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.39 ₩44.8K
$44.43 A$63.7
-24.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.5 ₩95.9K
$120 A$172
-40.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$82.5 ₩110.7K
$75.3 A$108
9.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seoul
Mandurah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$901 ₩1.2M
$1,418 A$2,032
-36.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$612 ₩820.4K
$1,107 A$1,585
-44.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,526 ₩3.4M
$2,395 A$3,431
5.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,266 ₩1.7M
$1,756 A$2,515
-27.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$29.4K ₩39.5M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.9K ₩16.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seoul
Mandurah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,650 ₩4.9M
$4,177 A$5,984
-12.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.08
5.7
-28.42%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mandurah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seoul
$612
Mandurah
$1.1K 80.9% $495
Groceries & Markets
Seoul
$477
Mandurah
$346 27.4% $131
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
$274
Mandurah
$277 1% $2.6
Eating Out
Seoul
$184
Mandurah
$312 69.6% $128
Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
$110
Mandurah
$143 29.9% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
$81
Mandurah
$51 36.9% $30
Getting Around
Seoul
$57
Mandurah
$116 103% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,418 in Mandurah. 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 Mandurah, 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 $83.0 in Mandurah. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Seoul vs $346 in Mandurah – so Mandurah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Seoul
🇦🇺 Mandurah
🕒 Local time
06:09 6:09 AM
05:09 5:09 AM
1 h behind Seoul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,509,458 Capital
107,643
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seoul Mandurah 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seoul
  • Mandurah

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 Mandurah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Seoul or Mandurah?
Mandurah costs about 31% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Seoul and in Mandurah?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $3,527 in Mandurah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Seoul or Mandurah?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Seoul and in Mandurah?
Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $386 in Mandurah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Seoul or in Mandurah?
Interestingly, groceries are about 38% cheaper in Mandurah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Seoul or in Mandurah?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Mandurah at $2,351. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mandurah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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.
How safe is Seoul compared to Mandurah?
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.
Should I move to Seoul or to Mandurah?
If budget matters most, go with Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mandurah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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