Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,804 a month against $3,027 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
Learn more

Perth Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,804

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,027

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Perth

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,804 in Seoul versus $3,027 in Perth.

Seoul $1,804
Perth $3,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,877 in Seoul versus $4,162 in Perth.

Seoul $2,877
Perth $4,162

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,950 in Seoul versus $5,297 in Perth.

Seoul $3,950
Perth $5,297

Living in Seoul costs roughly 40% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 33% above, Perth 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.1K

$21.22 A$30.54

-57.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$84.5 A$122

-21.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ₩9,959

$11.01 A$15.84

-31.97%

Cappuccino

$4.19 ₩5,569

$4.43 A$6.38

-5.42%

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

$1.55 ₩2,067

$2.88 A$4.15

-46.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,055

$2.25 A$3.24

-64.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,846

$8.44 A$12.14

-56.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₩8,164

$8.22 A$11.83

-25.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,811

$1.74 A$2.51

21.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,051

$3.12 A$4.49

-2.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,599

$2.06 A$2.96

104.37%

Eggs

$3.54 ₩4,709

$5.21 A$7.50

-32.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 ₩24.0K

$9.02 A$12.98

99.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₩13.8K

$9.33 A$13.43

10.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.47 ₩35.2K

$13.80 A$19.85

91.81%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$4.59 A$6.60

72.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,578

$3.23 A$4.65

6.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩7,493

$3.40 A$4.89

65.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,517

$4.89 A$7.03

31.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,938

$2.86 A$4.12

29.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,345

$1.89 A$2.72

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,816

$2.19 A$3.15

31.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,536

$1.39 A$2.00

-16.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$42.45 A$61.1

-92.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ₩24.9K

$12.73 A$18.31

47.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,036

$4.56 A$6.56

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ₩4,397

$3.32 A$4.78

-0.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,497

$2.40 A$3.45

-52.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.73 ₩62.1K

$98.4 A$142

-52.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,684

$3.53 A$5.07

-0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$1.46 A$2.09

-56.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.7K

$40.43 A$58.2

-78.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,930

$1.36 A$1.95

6.62%

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

$29.7K ₩39.4M

$29.6K A$42.6K

0.18%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$27.7K A$39.9K

1.72%

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

$211 ₩280.4K

$205 A$295

2.70%

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

$35.36 ₩47.0K

$32.82 A$47.23

7.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ₩27.4K

$64.0 A$92.1

-67.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₩76.7K

$55.2 A$79.4

4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 ₩21.5K

$20.94 A$30.13

-22.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.1K

$17.27 A$24.85

-34.16%

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

$1,967 ₩2.6M

$2,320 A$3,339

-15.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.3M

$22.9K A$32.9K

-0.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩76.4K

$76.4 A$110

-24.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ₩44.0K

$63.1 A$90.8

-47.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩93.2K

$122 A$176

-42.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.0K

$163 A$235

-48.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ₩1.2M

$1,936 A$2,786

-54.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩829.7K

$1,624 A$2,337

-61.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 ₩3.3M

$2,820 A$4,058

-10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₩1.7M

$2,161 A$3,110

-40.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.4K ₩40.4M

$8,369 A$12.0K

262.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$6,001 A$8,635

97.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 ₩4.8M

$4,209 A$6,056

-14.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.96

-31.54%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 18, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.6%

Perth

$1.6K 53.7% 160% $1,000

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$480 26.6%

Perth

$366 12.1% 23.7% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$267 14.8%

Perth

$302 10% 13.3% $35

Eating Out

Seoul

$185 10.3%

Perth

$335 11.1% 80.8% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Perth

$191 6.3% 73.4% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Perth

$90 3% 11.5% $9.3

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Perth

$119 3.9% 105% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $878 in Seoul and $1,936 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 17% 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 Perth. Groceries flip the comparison at $480 vs $366, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

14:28 2:28 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,043,762

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Perth 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Perth

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 Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Perth. 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: $878 in Seoul versus $1,936 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Seoul runs roughly 111% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,967 in Seoul versus $2,320 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,804 in Seoul versus $3,027 in Perth, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Perth. 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 Perth 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 68% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.