Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Songdo-dong and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Songdo-dong: $1,444 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Songdo-dong
Learn more

Songdo-dong Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Songdo-dong and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Songdo-dong and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Songdo-dong versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Songdo-dong $1,444
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,292 in Songdo-dong versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Songdo-dong $2,292
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,140 in Songdo-dong versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Songdo-dong $3,140
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Songdo-dong costs roughly 49% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Songdo-dong 7% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 ₩7,825

$17.43 A$25.08

-66.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.90 ₩46.6K

$84.6 A$122

-58.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,847

$12.46 A$17.92

-46.79%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ₩4,831

$4.11 A$5.91

-11.92%

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

$1.53 ₩2,039

$3.06 A$4.40

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₩780

$2.52 A$3.62

-76.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 ₩4,077

$9.80 A$14.10

-68.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ₩6,088

$8.57 A$12.33

-46.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,935

$1.48 A$2.14

48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,080

$2.94 A$4.23

4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 ₩3,137

$2.66 A$3.82

-11.65%

Eggs

$3.33 ₩4,444

$5.54 A$7.97

-39.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.79 ₩21.1K

$10.51 A$15.13

50.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.4K

$9.65 A$13.89

-19.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 ₩15.1K

$15.22 A$21.91

-25.49%

Apples (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.4K

$3.99 A$5.75

95.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 ₩4,249

$3.02 A$4.34

5.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.67 ₩10.2K

$3.10 A$4.46

147.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.78 ₩9,048

$4.82 A$6.93

40.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₩4,736

$3.03 A$4.36

17.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,227

$2.44 A$3.52

-0.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,727

$2.46 A$3.54

-17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 ₩1,967

$1.63 A$2.34

-9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,394

$44.07 A$63.4

-92.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.48 ₩24.7K

$12.70 A$18.28

45.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₩3,054

$5.54 A$7.97

-58.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,853

$4.51 A$6.50

-19.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩820

$1.36 A$1.96

-55.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,796

$1.47 A$2.12

-8.16%

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

$29.2K ₩38.9M

$29.0K A$41.7K

0.62%

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

$35.7K ₩47.6M

$26.5K A$38.1K

34.76%

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

$210 ₩279.6K

$234 A$336

-10.33%

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

$43.59 ₩58.2K

$27.93 A$40.19

56.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 ₩27.5K

$55.7 A$80.2

-63.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 ₩15.1K

$15.09 A$21.72

-24.98%

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

$380 ₩507.1K

$2,371 A$3,412

-83.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ₩23.9M

$30.2K A$43.5K

-40.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 ₩85.8K

$80.0 A$115

-19.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩86.3K

$50.7 A$73.0

27.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 ₩100.8K

$121 A$174

-37.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 ₩132.0K

$130 A$188

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ₩604.7K

$1,390 A$2,000

-67.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 ₩2.6M

$3,494 A$5,027

-45.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 ₩1.4M

$2,493 A$3,588

-57.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,372 ₩4.5M

$4,383 A$6,307

-23.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

5.9

-30.51%

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

Last update for Songdo-dong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Songdo-dong

$453 31.4%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 207% $936

Groceries & Markets

Songdo-dong

$408 * 28.3%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 5.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Songdo-dong

$274 19%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 15.9% $44

Eating Out

Songdo-dong

$143 9.9%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 120% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Songdo-dong

$137 9.5%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 25.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Songdo-dong

$23 * 1.6%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 251% $57

Getting Around

Songdo-dong

$6.7 * 0.5%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 2341% $157

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

Cost Breakdown

Melbourne pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Songdo-dong vs $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $408 vs $384, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Songdo-dong

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

06:32 6:32 AM

2 h ahead of Songdo-dong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Songdo-dong Melbourne 8,570 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Songdo-dong
Melbourne

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

Songdo-dong vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Songdo-dong and Melbourne differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($1,444 vs $2,821 including rent). Songdo-dong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,444 per month in Songdo-dong versus $2,821 in Melbourne – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,444 in Songdo-dong versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Songdo-dong but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Songdo-dong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Songdo-dong and Melbourne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Songdo-dong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.