Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Sydney

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $3,182 in Sydney, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Sydney $3,182

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $4,696 in Sydney, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Sydney $4,696

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $6,210 in Sydney, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Sydney $6,210

Seoul is about 43% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seoul and Sydney sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Sydney by 137%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$17.66 A$25.37

-48.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$97.1 A$139

-30.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$11.94 A$17.15

-37.86%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$4.00 A$5.75

2.00%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$2.84 A$4.07

-43.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$2.27 A$3.26

-64.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$7.89 A$11.33

-53.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$7.13 A$10.24

-16.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$1.66 A$2.39

23.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$2.79 A$4.01

10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$2.32 A$3.34

81.47%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$5.53 A$7.94

-35.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$12.08 A$17.35

48.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$9.84 A$14.14

8.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$16.61 A$23.87

59.18%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$4.02 A$5.78

84.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$3.15 A$4.53

12.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$3.50 A$5.03

67.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$4.47 A$6.42

42.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$3.32 A$4.77

12.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$2.30 A$3.31

8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$2.34 A$3.37

24.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$1.15 A$1.66

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$45.02 A$64.7

-92.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$13.96 A$20.05

32.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

$3.98 A$5.72

-42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

$4.07 A$5.84

-19.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$3.16 A$4.54

-63.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

$150 A$215

-69.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$3.45 A$4.96

0.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$1.63 A$2.34

-63.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$39.98 A$57.4

-78.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.40 A$2.01

7.14%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$28.4K A$40.8K

2.45%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$29.4K A$42.2K

-4.12%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$220 A$316

-5.01%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$27.70 A$39.79

26.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$55.5 A$79.8

-61.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$74.3 A$107

-22.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$23.95 A$34.41

-33.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$17.73 A$25.46

-36.10%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$2,157 A$3,098

-11.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$28.3K A$40.6K

-20.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$78.4 A$113

-24.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$70.5 A$101

-54.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$111 A$160

-37.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$132 A$189

-37.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$2,514 A$3,612

-64.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$1,732 A$2,487

-63.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$4,889 A$7,022

-48.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$3,039 A$4,365

-58.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$13.2K A$19.0K

125.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$8,117 A$11.7K

45.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$4,082 A$5,864

-10.61%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5% 178% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Sydney

$380 12% 20.6% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Sydney

$303 9.6% 14.3% $38

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Sydney

$299 9.4% 62.9% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Sydney

$176 5.6% 60.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 37.2% $30

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 208% $118

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $2,514 in Sydney. 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 12% higher in Sydney, 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $97.0 in Sydney. Groceries tell a different story – $479 in Seoul vs $380 in Sydney – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

18:11 6:11 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

4,840,600

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Sydney 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Sydney

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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 75% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $4,774 in Sydney. 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 230% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,902 per month in Seoul and $2,157 in Sydney. 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 $1,822, than in Sydney at $3,182. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney 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, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.