Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Southern Cross

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,347 in Southern Cross, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Southern Cross

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,347 in Southern Cross, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Southern Cross $2,347

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,547 in Southern Cross, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Southern Cross $3,547

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,747 in Southern Cross, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Southern Cross $4,747

Seoul is about 24% cheaper than Southern Cross, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Southern Cross sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Southern Cross by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$19.67 A$28.30

-55.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$61.9 A$89.1

10.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$10.52 A$15.13

-28.33%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.57 A$5.14

18.49%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$2.47 A$3.55

-34.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$1.70 A$2.44

-56.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$7.08 A$10.19

-48.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$8.22 A$11.83

-25.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.57 A$2.26

28.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.64 A$3.80

18.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.18 A$3.14

98.17%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.72 A$3.92

32.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$9.42 A$13.55

89.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$9.15 A$13.16

14.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$14.68 A$21.13

75.75%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.83 A$5.51

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$3.11 A$4.48

8.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.32 A$4.78

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$4.76 A$6.85

34.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.83 A$4.07

32.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.38 A$3.43

6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.40 A$3.46

18.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.47 A$2.11

-24.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$34.77 A$50.0

-90.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$14.03 A$20.19

31.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$4.63 A$6.67

-48.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$5.33 A$7.67

-36.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$2.70 A$3.88

-57.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$92.3 A$133

-50.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.00 A$4.32

16.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$1.66 A$2.40

-62.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$38.90 A$56.0

-77.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.25 A$1.80

20.80%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$24.1K A$34.7K

21.37%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$28.1K A$40.5K

0.28%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$201 A$289

8.39%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$28.18 A$40.56

24.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$56.8 A$81.7

-62.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$49.78 A$71.6

16.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$17.91 A$25.77

-10.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$13.34 A$19.20

-15.22%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,080 A$2,994

-6.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$18.0K A$25.9K

26.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$81.0 A$116

-29.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$57.1 A$82.2

-41.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$98.1 A$141

-27.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$132 A$190

-37.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,265 A$1,821

-28.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$1,047 A$1,507

-41.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$2,210 A$3,180

14.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,939 A$2,790

-34.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$5,734 A$8,251

413.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$5,261 A$7,571

126.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$7,010 A$10.1K

-47.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.25

-34.72%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Southern Cross: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Southern Cross

$1K 44.6% 71.2% $435

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Southern Cross

$357 15.2% 25.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Southern Cross

$286 12.2% 4.3% $12

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Southern Cross

$300 12.8% 63.4% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Southern Cross

$166 7.1% 50.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Southern Cross

$76 3.3% 5.2% $4.2

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Southern Cross

$114 4.9% 99.6% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,265 in Southern Cross. 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 92% higher in Southern Cross, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $62.0 in Southern Cross. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $357 – making Southern Cross the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

22:01 10:01 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

700

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Southern Cross 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Southern Cross

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 Southern Cross: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Southern Cross costs about 31% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $3,520 in Southern Cross. 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.

Public transport costs about 100% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $2,080 in Southern Cross. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seoul, where all-in costs run around $1,794, than in Southern Cross at $2,347. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Southern Cross 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, Southern Cross makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.