Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,794 a month against $2,251 in Wollongong, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
Learn more

Wollongong Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Wollongong

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

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $2,251 in Wollongong, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Wollongong $2,251

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $3,295 in Wollongong, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Wollongong $3,295

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $4,339 in Wollongong, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Wollongong $4,339

Seoul is about 20% cheaper than Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Wollongong sit above the global median – Seoul by 33%, Wollongong by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$16.72 A$24.06

-47.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$83.9 A$121

-18.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$10.27 A$14.78

-26.58%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.49 A$5.03

21.20%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$3.16 A$4.54

-48.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$2.17 A$3.12

-65.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$7.09 A$10.20

-48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$6.93 A$9.97

-11.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.19 A$1.72

68.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.92 A$4.20

7.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.11 A$3.04

104.74%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$3.93 A$5.65

-8.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$10.40 A$14.96

71.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$9.47 A$13.62

10.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$15.48 A$22.27

66.67%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.90 A$4.17

164.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.54 A$3.65

33.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$3.30 A$4.74

76.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$4.53 A$6.51

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.31 A$3.33

62.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.58 A$3.71

-1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.56 A$3.68

10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.33 A$1.91

-16.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$44.92 A$64.6

-92.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$13.90 A$20.00

33.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$4.38 A$6.31

-45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$4.67 A$6.72

-27.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$1.97 A$2.84

-42.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$4.11 A$5.92

-15.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$1.55 A$2.23

-59.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$42.79 A$61.6

-79.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.32 A$1.90

14.39%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$26.6K A$38.2K

10.23%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$24.8K A$35.6K

13.87%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$185 A$267

17.32%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$27.08 A$38.97

29.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$51.1 A$73.5

-58.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$81.8 A$118

-29.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$14.07 A$20.24

14.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$13.02 A$18.73

-13.13%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$2,148 A$3,091

-9.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$20.5K A$29.5K

11.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$68.2 A$98.1

-16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$55.0 A$79.2

-39.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$105 A$152

-32.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$108 A$155

-23.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$1,246 A$1,793

-27.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$1,079 A$1,552

-43.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,947 A$2,802

29.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$1,666 A$2,398

-24.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$4,438 A$6,386

562.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$3,676 A$5,290

223.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$5,130 A$7,382

-28.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.23

-21.99%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Wollongong

$1.1K 47.9% 76.3% $467

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Wollongong

$353 15.7% 25.9% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Wollongong

$264 11.7% 3.8% $10

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Wollongong

$277 12.3% 50.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Wollongong

$151 6.7% 37.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Wollongong

$108 4.8% 33.7% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Wollongong

$20 * 0.9% 65.5% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $1,246 in Wollongong. 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 41% higher in Wollongong, 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 $84.0 in Wollongong. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Seoul vs $353 in Wollongong – so Wollongong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

280,153

💱 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 Wollongong 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Wollongong

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 Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wollongong costs about 25% 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 $3,377 in Wollongong. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $2,251 in Wollongong. That's a gap of about 25%.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $2,148 in Wollongong. 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 Wollongong at $2,251. In Seoul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wollongong 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, Wollongong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.