Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Seoul $1,822
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Seoul $2,847
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Seoul $3,872
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Seoul costs roughly 36% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 36% above, Melbourne 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$17.75 A$25.49

-48.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$84.8 A$122

-20.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$12.16 A$17.46

-38.98%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$3.93 A$5.64

3.82%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$3.14 A$4.51

-49.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$2.43 A$3.49

-67.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$9.90 A$14.22

-63.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$8.29 A$11.91

-28.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$1.55 A$2.22

32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$3.01 A$4.32

2.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$2.88 A$4.14

46.18%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$5.44 A$7.82

-34.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$10.59 A$15.22

69.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$9.61 A$13.81

10.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$14.99 A$21.54

76.38%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$4.15 A$5.96

78.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$3.05 A$4.38

15.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$3.30 A$4.74

77.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$4.76 A$6.83

33.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$3.04 A$4.36

23.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$2.55 A$3.66

-2.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$2.48 A$3.56

17.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$1.63 A$2.34

-29.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$44.07 A$63.3

-92.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$12.43 A$17.85

48.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

$5.33 A$7.65

-57.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

$5.16 A$7.41

-36.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$3.84 A$5.52

-70.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$142 A$203

-67.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$4.40 A$6.32

-20.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$1.40 A$2.01

-57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$29.83 A$42.84

-70.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.46 A$2.09

2.74%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$28.1K A$40.4K

3.45%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$25.9K A$37.3K

8.66%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$233 A$334

-10.22%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$27.28 A$39.19

28.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$57.0 A$81.9

-62.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$52.7 A$75.7

8.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$22.62 A$32.49

-29.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$17.10 A$24.57

-33.74%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$2,373 A$3,409

-19.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$30.5K A$43.8K

-26.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$78.2 A$112

-24.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$50.5 A$72.5

-36.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$121 A$173

-41.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$133 A$191

-38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,713 A$2,460

-48.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$1,402 A$2,014

-55.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$3,339 A$4,796

-25.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$2,529 A$3,632

-49.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$7,018 A$10.1K

325.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$6,767 A$9,721

75.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$4,228 A$6,074

-13.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.9

-30.85%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 125% $778

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 19.6% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 19.5% $52

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Melbourne

$314 11% 70.9% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 57% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 8.6% $6.9

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 198% $112

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $479 vs $385, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

12:54 12:54 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

5,031,195

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Melbourne 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Melbourne differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,822 vs $2,852 including rent). Seoul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,902 in Seoul versus $2,373 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Melbourne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.