Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Port Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,450 in Port Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Port Macquarie

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,450 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Port Macquarie $2,450

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,487 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Port Macquarie $3,487

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,525 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Port Macquarie $4,525

Seoul is about 27% cheaper than Port Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Port Macquarie sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Port Macquarie by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$17.73 A$25.39

-50.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩91.7K

$87.3 A$125

-21.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$10.34 A$14.82

-27.08%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,672

$3.90 A$5.59

8.46%

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

$1.63 ₩2,186

$2.49 A$3.57

-34.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩993

$1.67 A$2.39

-55.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$6.19 A$8.87

-41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,245

$6.38 A$9.13

-3.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,702

$2.03 A$2.91

-0.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,200

$2.93 A$4.20

6.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,793

$2.74 A$3.93

57.66%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,835

$5.29 A$7.58

-31.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.9K

$5.12 A$7.34

248.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩14.0K

$10.57 A$15.15

-1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.6K

$11.95 A$17.12

115.90%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$3.14 A$4.50

143.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,537

$4.31 A$6.17

-21.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,789

$2.40 A$3.43

142.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,592

$4.95 A$7.09

29.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,025

$2.39 A$3.42

56.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,404

$2.39 A$3.42

6.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,815

$1.60 A$2.29

77.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,485

$1.50 A$2.15

-26.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,493

$42.49 A$60.9

-92.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$10.41 A$14.91

77.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,213

$4.13 A$5.92

-41.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,518

$5.16 A$7.39

-34.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,534

$2.89 A$4.14

-60.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.8K

$80.7 A$116

-42.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,683

$3.66 A$5.24

-4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩847

$1.59 A$2.28

-60.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.9K

$42.84 A$61.4

-79.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,023

$1.30 A$1.87

16.15%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$26.2K A$37.5K

11.90%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$22.0K A$31.5K

28.41%

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

$218 ₩291.7K

$198 A$284

9.84%

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

$35.15 ₩47.1K

$30.80 A$44.13

14.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.5K

$61.3 A$87.9

-65.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.9K

$51.5 A$73.7

12.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.6K

$9.54 A$13.67

68.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$10.92 A$15.64

3.57%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$1,823 A$2,612

6.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.7M

$18.6K A$26.6K

23.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$70.6 A$101

-19.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.8K

$54.9 A$78.6

-39.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.9K

$104 A$149

-31.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.7K

$107 A$153

-22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,408 A$2,016

-36.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩820.4K

$1,201 A$1,721

-49.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,133 A$3,055

18.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,693 A$2,426

-25.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.5M

$5,785 A$8,287

408.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩16.0M

$4,938 A$7,074

141.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,769 A$3,966

31.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.33

-23.45%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49% 96.3% $589

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Port Macquarie

$350 14.3% 26.6% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Port Macquarie

$290 11.9% 5.9% $16

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Port Macquarie

$280 11.4% 52.3% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Port Macquarie

$151 6.2% 37.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Port Macquarie

$73 3% 9.1% $7.4

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Port Macquarie

$104 4.2% 81.2% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,408 in Port Macquarie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Seoul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $87.0 in Port Macquarie. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Seoul vs $350 in Port Macquarie – so Port Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

10:24 10:24 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

47,793

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,501 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Port Macquarie 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Port Macquarie

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 Port Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,794 in Seoul, $2,450 in Port Macquarie – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $3,675 in Port Macquarie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul and $87.0 in Port Macquarie. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $2,450 in Port Macquarie. That's a gap of about 37%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Port Macquarie at $2,450. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Macquarie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seoul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Seoul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Macquarie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.