Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Yamba NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,848 a month against $2,331 in Yamba NSW, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seoul, South Korea
Yamba NSW, Australia
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,848
/mo nomad
Yamba NSW
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,331
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Yamba NSW

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

A single person spends $1,848 per month in Seoul vs $2,331 in Yamba NSW, rent included.

  • Seoul $1,848
  • Yamba NSW $2,331

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Seoul vs $3,399 in Yamba NSW, rent included.

  • Seoul $2,986
  • Yamba NSW $3,399

A family of three spends $4,125 per month in Seoul vs $4,466 in Yamba NSW, rent included.

  • Seoul $4,125
  • Yamba NSW $4,466

Seoul is about 21% cheaper than Yamba NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seoul and Yamba NSW sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Yamba NSW by 71%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seoul
Yamba NSW
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.05 ₩12.1K
$17.85 A$25.28
-49.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.3 ₩91.6K
$50.9 A$72.0
34.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.35 ₩9,851
$11.11 A$15.73
-33.84%
Cappuccino
$4.12 ₩5,520
$4.52 A$6.40
-8.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 ₩2,203
$2.44 A$3.46
-32.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 ₩1,081
$2.05 A$2.90
-60.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 ₩4,971
$7.90 A$11.19
-53.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 ₩8,221
$6.96 A$9.86
-11.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seoul
Yamba NSW
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.04 ₩2,737
$1.62 A$2.30
25.93%
White Bread (500g)
$3.21 ₩4,303
$2.68 A$3.79
19.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.39 ₩5,881
$2.25 A$3.19
95.11%
Eggs
$3.59 ₩4,814
$4.90 A$6.94
-26.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.23 ₩24.4K
$9.25 A$13.10
97.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.51 ₩14.1K
$9.10 A$12.89
15.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.89 ₩36.0K
$14.23 A$20.16
88.97%
Apples (1kg)
$7.86 ₩10.5K
$4.34 A$6.14
81.11%
Banana (1kg)
$3.53 ₩4,730
$3.17 A$4.50
11.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.70 ₩7,646
$3.02 A$4.28
88.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.18 ₩8,281
$4.82 A$6.82
28.22%
Potato (1kg)
$3.76 ₩5,044
$2.87 A$4.06
31.01%
Onion (1kg)
$2.51 ₩3,367
$2.34 A$3.32
7.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.82 ₩3,773
$2.33 A$3.30
21.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 ₩1,487
$1.24 A$1.75
-10.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30 ₩4,424
$38.44 A$54.5
-91.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.64 ₩25.0K
$12.66 A$17.93
47.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 ₩3,242
$5.30 A$7.50
-54.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 ₩4,501
$4.92 A$6.97
-31.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Seoul
Yamba NSW
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₩1,597
$2.74 A$3.88
-56.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.13 ₩61.8K
$73.1 A$104
-36.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.55 ₩4,761
$3.09 A$4.38
14.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ₩809
$1.87 A$2.65
-67.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.08 ₩12.2K
$41.70 A$59.1
-78.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ₩1,927
$1.41 A$1.99
2.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K ₩40.6M
$29.8K A$42.2K
1.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.9K ₩38.7M
$25.5K A$36.1K
13.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
Yamba NSW
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 ₩284.9K
$162 A$230
30.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.83 ₩48.0K
$26.59 A$37.67
34.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.39 ₩28.7K
$60.3 A$85.4
-64.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
Yamba NSW
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.6 ₩82.6K
$58.0 A$82.2
6.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.41 ₩22.0K
$19.49 A$27.61
-15.80%
Cinema Ticket
$11.42 ₩15.3K
$14.27 A$20.21
-19.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seoul
Yamba NSW
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,948 ₩2.6M
$1,974 A$2,796
-1.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.8K ₩30.5M
$12.8K A$18.2K
77.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
Yamba NSW
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 ₩80.1K
$84.8 A$120
-29.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.19 ₩45.8K
$44.72 A$63.4
-23.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.0 ₩88.4K
$111 A$158
-40.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.9 ₩109.8K
$110 A$156
-25.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seoul
Yamba NSW
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$924 ₩1.2M
$1,424 A$2,017
-35.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ₩883.5K
$1,076 A$1,524
-38.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,012 ₩4.0M
$2,037 A$2,886
47.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,440 ₩1.9M
$1,765 A$2,500
-18.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$27.2K ₩36.4M
$5,125 A$7,260
430.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.3K ₩15.1M
$5,432 A$7,695
107.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seoul
Yamba NSW
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,570 ₩4.8M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.08
5.81
-29.78%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yamba NSW: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seoul
$659
Yamba NSW
$1.1K 63.2% $417
Groceries & Markets
Seoul
$483
Yamba NSW
$363 24.8% $120
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seoul
$270
Yamba NSW
$249 7.6% $20
Eating Out
Seoul
$184
Yamba NSW
$302 63.5% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Seoul
$109
Yamba NSW
$158 45.1% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Seoul
$84
Yamba NSW
$87 2.5% $2.1
Getting Around
Seoul
$57
Yamba NSW
$97 68% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $924 in Seoul versus $1,424 in Yamba NSW. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Seoul versus $51 in Yamba NSW. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $483 vs $363 – making Yamba NSW the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Seoul
🇦🇺 Yamba NSW
🕒 Local time
19:41 7:41 PM
21:41 9:41 PM
2 h ahead of Seoul
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,509,458 Capital
6,913
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.633 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seoul Yamba NSW 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seoul
  • Yamba NSW

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 Yamba NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Seoul or Yamba NSW?
Yamba NSW costs about 26% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Seoul and in Yamba NSW?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,771 per month in Seoul and $3,497 in Yamba NSW. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Seoul or Yamba NSW?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Seoul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $924 there versus $1,424 in Yamba NSW.
How expensive is transport in Seoul compared to Yamba NSW?
Public transport costs about 37% less in Seoul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Seoul and in Yamba NSW?
Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $1,974 in Yamba NSW. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How safe is Seoul compared to Yamba NSW?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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