Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Newcastle

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,596 in Newcastle, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Newcastle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,596 in Newcastle.

Seoul $1,822
Newcastle $2,596

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $3,812 in Newcastle.

Seoul $2,847
Newcastle $3,812

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $5,028 in Newcastle.

Seoul $3,872
Newcastle $5,028

Living in Seoul costs roughly 30% less than in Newcastle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 36% above, Newcastle 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$21.06 A$30.14

-56.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$105 A$151

-36.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$10.25 A$14.67

-27.61%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$3.72 A$5.33

9.68%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$3.17 A$4.54

-49.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$1.78 A$2.55

-55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$9.01 A$12.90

-59.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$7.09 A$10.14

-16.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$1.48 A$2.11

38.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$2.62 A$3.75

17.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.93 A$2.76

118.13%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$4.81 A$6.88

-25.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$10.47 A$14.99

71.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$8.71 A$12.47

22.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$15.70 A$22.47

68.41%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$3.44 A$4.92

115.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.99 A$4.27

18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$3.04 A$4.35

93.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$4.48 A$6.42

42.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$2.90 A$4.15

29.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.44 A$3.49

2.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$2.43 A$3.47

20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.40 A$2.00

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$31.12 A$44.53

-89.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$10.44 A$14.94

77.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$4.38 A$6.27

-47.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$3.39 A$4.86

-3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$2.86 A$4.09

-60.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$154 A$221

-70.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$2.37 A$3.40

46.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$1.62 A$2.32

-62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$40.64 A$58.2

-78.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.23 A$1.76

21.95%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$30.5K A$43.6K

-4.39%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$29.9K A$42.8K

-5.83%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$219 A$314

-4.81%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$26.03 A$37.25

34.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$56.3 A$80.5

-62.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$43.81 A$62.7

30.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$18.18 A$26.02

-12.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$14.13 A$20.23

-19.82%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$2,195 A$3,142

-13.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$13.2K A$18.9K

70.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$81.7 A$117

-27.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$46.51 A$66.6

-30.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$119 A$170

-41.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$115 A$164

-28.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,538 A$2,200

-42.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$1,172 A$1,677

-46.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,514 A$3,598

-0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,844 A$2,639

-30.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$13.5K A$19.3K

121.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$5,706 A$8,165

107.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$3,067 A$4,389

18.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.55

-37.71%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Newcastle: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Newcastle

$1.2K 45.8% 88% $549

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Newcastle

$349 13.7% 27.1% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Newcastle

$302 11.8% 13.8% $37

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Newcastle

$323 12.6% 75.8% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Newcastle

$163 6.4% 48.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Newcastle

$72 2.8% 9.9% $7.9

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Newcastle

$176 6.9% 212% $120

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $1,538 in Newcastle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $105 in Newcastle. Groceries flip the comparison at $479 vs $349, with Newcastle cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🕒 Local time

20:29 8:29 PM

22:29 10:29 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

508,437

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Newcastle 8,250 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 Newcastle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $1,538 in Newcastle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,822 per month in Seoul versus $2,596 in Newcastle – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 239% less than in Newcastle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,596 in Newcastle, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Newcastle. 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 Newcastle 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 42% less than in Newcastle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.