Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Margaret River

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,566 in Margaret River, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Margaret River
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Margaret River Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Margaret River

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,566

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Margaret River

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,566 in Margaret River, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Margaret River $2,566

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,723 in Margaret River, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Margaret River $3,723

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,880 in Margaret River, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Margaret River $4,880

Seoul is about 30% cheaper than Margaret River, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and Margaret River sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Margaret River by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$19.82 A$28.39

-55.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$82.0 A$117

-16.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$10.56 A$15.13

-28.60%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,672

$4.42 A$6.33

-4.30%

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

$2.18 A$3.13

-66.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$8.31 A$11.90

-56.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$8.52 A$12.21

-27.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$1.72 A$2.46

16.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$3.16 A$4.53

-0.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$1.98 A$2.84

118.18%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$5.26 A$7.54

-31.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$9.03 A$12.94

97.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$9.00 A$12.90

16.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$13.70 A$19.62

88.32%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$4.45 A$6.37

72.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$3.10 A$4.44

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,789

$3.42 A$4.90

69.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,592

$5.03 A$7.20

27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,025

$2.88 A$4.13

30.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,404

$1.92 A$2.75

32.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$2.32 A$3.32

22.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$1.36 A$1.96

-18.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$42.56 A$61.0

-92.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$12.60 A$18.05

46.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$4.22 A$6.05

-43.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$3.43 A$4.91

-1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$2.95 A$4.23

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$82.2 A$118

-43.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$3.58 A$5.13

-2.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$1.44 A$2.07

-56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$40.63 A$58.2

-78.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.35 A$1.93

11.85%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$27.7K A$39.7K

5.73%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$29.1K A$41.6K

-2.98%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$197 A$282

10.53%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$32.94 A$47.18

6.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$64.3 A$92.0

-66.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$56.0 A$80.2

3.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$17.38 A$24.89

-7.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$17.17 A$24.60

-34.13%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,306 A$3,304

-15.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$22.9K A$32.8K

-0.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$77.3 A$111

-26.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$65.4 A$93.6

-48.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$123 A$176

-41.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$164 A$234

-49.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,387 A$1,986

-35.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.4K

$1,199 A$1,718

-48.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,170 A$3,108

16.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,825 A$2,614

-30.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$5,036 A$7,214

484.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$4,814 A$6,896

147.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,954 A$4,232

23.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.91

-30.96%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Margaret River: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Margaret River

$1.2K 46.8% 96% $588

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Margaret River

$362 14.1% 24.1% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Margaret River

$294 11.5% 7.3% $20

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Margaret River

$322 12.6% 75.3% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Margaret River

$193 7.5% 75.6% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Margaret River

$90 3.5% 12% $9.7

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Margaret River

$105 4.1% 82.8% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,387 in Margaret River. 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 24% higher in Seoul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $82.0 in Margaret River. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Seoul vs $362 in Margaret River – so Margaret River wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Margaret River

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

01:25 1:25 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.68 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,497 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.68 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 = 0.625 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Margaret River 8,050 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Margaret River

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 Margaret River: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Margaret River is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $3,849 in Margaret River. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $82.0 in Margaret River. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $2,566 in Margaret River. That's a gap of about 43%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Margaret River at $2,566. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Margaret River 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, Margaret River makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.