Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Pakenham

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,532 in Pakenham, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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 Pakenham
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Pakenham Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Pakenham

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Pakenham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,532 in Pakenham.

Seoul $1,794
Pakenham $2,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $3,680 in Pakenham.

Seoul $2,863
Pakenham $3,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $4,828 in Pakenham.

Seoul $3,931
Pakenham $4,828

Living in Seoul costs roughly 29% less than in Pakenham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 33% above, Pakenham 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$17.31 A$24.91

-49.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$82.6 A$119

-17.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$12.18 A$17.53

-38.10%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$4.08 A$5.88

3.68%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$3.04 A$4.38

-46.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$2.43 A$3.50

-69.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$9.90 A$14.25

-63.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$8.24 A$11.86

-25.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.19 A$1.71

68.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.89 A$4.15

8.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.53 A$3.64

70.75%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$5.53 A$7.95

-34.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$8.47 A$12.19

110.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$10.01 A$14.41

4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$15.17 A$21.83

70.07%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$4.13 A$5.95

85.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.55 A$3.68

32.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.12 A$4.49

86.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$4.62 A$6.64

38.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$3.10 A$4.46

20.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.55 A$3.67

-0.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.44 A$3.51

16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.56 A$2.24

-28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$25.12 A$36.14

-86.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$12.46 A$17.94

48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$5.76 A$8.29

-58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$5.16 A$7.42

-34.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$2.57 A$3.70

-55.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$87.0 A$125

-47.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$4.51 A$6.49

-22.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$1.36 A$1.95

-53.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$29.83 A$42.93

-70.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.41 A$2.02

7.09%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$29.0K A$41.8K

0.85%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$26.1K A$37.5K

8.14%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$235 A$339

-7.57%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$27.39 A$39.41

28.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$55.6 A$80.0

-61.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$49.14 A$70.7

18.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$17.99 A$25.89

-10.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$15.60 A$22.45

-27.50%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,334 A$3,358

-16.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$29.4K A$42.3K

-22.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$81.6 A$117

-30.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$49.61 A$71.4

-32.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$120 A$173

-40.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$134 A$193

-38.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,420 A$2,044

-36.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$1,166 A$1,678

-47.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,832 A$2,637

37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,824 A$2,625

-30.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$5,126 A$7,377

473.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$5,496 A$7,909

116.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

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 11, 2026

Last update for Pakenham: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Pakenham

$1.2K 46.1% 90.6% $555

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Pakenham

$372 14.7% 21.9% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Pakenham

$318 12.6% 16.2% $44

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Pakenham

$312 12.3% 69.7% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Pakenham

$174 6.9% 57.8% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Pakenham

$80 3.2% 0.4% $0.4

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Pakenham

$109 4.3% 89.4% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $1,420 in Pakenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Seoul vs $83.0 in Pakenham. Groceries flip the comparison at $477 vs $372, with Pakenham cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Pakenham

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

06:54 6:54 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

54,118

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Pakenham 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Pakenham

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 Pakenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Pakenham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,692 in Seoul and $3,797 in Pakenham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $901 in Seoul versus $1,420 in Pakenham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $2,334 in Pakenham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Pakenham pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,532 in Pakenham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Pakenham. 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 Pakenham 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 41% less than in Pakenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.