Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Parramatta

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,908 in Parramatta, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
141

Cost of Living Index in Parramatta
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Parramatta Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Parramatta

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Parramatta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,908 in Parramatta.

Seoul $1,794
Parramatta $2,908

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,863 in Seoul versus $4,053 in Parramatta.

Seoul $2,863
Parramatta $4,053

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Seoul versus $5,198 in Parramatta.

Seoul $3,931
Parramatta $5,198

Living in Seoul costs roughly 38% less than in Parramatta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 33% above, Parramatta 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$17.43 A$25.09

-49.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$89.2 A$128

-23.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$11.95 A$17.20

-36.90%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.91 A$5.63

8.18%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$3.03 A$4.36

-46.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$2.62 A$3.77

-71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$8.30 A$11.94

-56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$7.16 A$10.30

-14.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.61 A$2.31

24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.76 A$3.97

13.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.36 A$3.39

83.05%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$5.41 A$7.78

-33.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$12.08 A$17.38

47.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$9.83 A$14.15

6.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$15.05 A$21.66

71.43%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$4.07 A$5.86

88.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$3.09 A$4.45

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.34 A$4.81

73.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$5.17 A$7.44

23.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$3.09 A$4.45

21.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.42 A$3.49

4.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.54 A$3.65

11.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.32 A$1.90

-15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$44.84 A$64.5

-92.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$13.69 A$19.70

35.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$4.08 A$5.87

-41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$4.02 A$5.78

-16.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$138 A$199

-66.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.41 A$4.91

2.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$1.62 A$2.33

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$40.33 A$58.0

-78.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.36 A$1.96

11.03%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$29.0K A$41.7K

1.06%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$29.8K A$42.8K

-5.18%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$221 A$318

-1.46%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$27.03 A$38.90

30.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$55.2 A$79.4

-61.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$34.61 A$49.80

67.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$19.71 A$28.37

-18.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$16.14 A$23.23

-29.93%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,204 A$3,172

-11.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$20.6K A$29.7K

10.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$79.1 A$114

-27.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$55.4 A$79.7

-39.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$106 A$153

-32.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$130 A$187

-36.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,828 A$2,630

-50.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$1,542 A$2,219

-60.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$3,928 A$5,653

-35.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$2,132 A$3,068

-40.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$4,204 A$6,049

599.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$3,283 A$4,724

262.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$4,103 A$5,904

-11.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.84

-30.14%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Parramatta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Parramatta

$1.5K 53% 152% $930

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Parramatta

$379 13% 20.4% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Parramatta

$303 10.4% 10.6% $29

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Parramatta

$301 10.3% 63.6% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Parramatta

$167 5.7% 51.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Parramatta

$67 2.3% 17.1% $14

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Parramatta

$150 * 5.1% 161% $92

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Seoul and $1,828 in Parramatta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parramatta pays 12% 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: $68.0 in Seoul vs $89.0 in Parramatta. Groceries flip the comparison at $477 vs $379, with Parramatta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Parramatta

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

06:29 6:29 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

19,745

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Parramatta 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Parramatta

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 Parramatta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Parramatta. 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: $901 in Seoul versus $1,828 in Parramatta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,794 per month in Seoul versus $2,908 in Parramatta – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 199% less than in Parramatta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,794 in Seoul versus $2,908 in Parramatta, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Parramatta. 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 Parramatta 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 62% less than in Parramatta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.