Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in South Korea: $1,596 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
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South Korea Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

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🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Korea and in Australia

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

A single person spends $1,596 per month in South Korea vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.

South Korea $1,596
Australia $2,626

A couple spends around $2,542 per month in South Korea vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.

South Korea $2,542
Australia $3,810

A family of three spends $3,487 per month in South Korea vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.

South Korea $3,487
Australia $4,994

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in South Korea ($1,044–$1,848), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Korea is roughly 39% lower than in Australia on average.

Both South Korea and Australia are pricier than the global median – South Korea by 17%, Australia by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,875

$17.65 A$25.09

-57.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 ₩59.1K

$85.2 A$121

-47.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,641

$11.09 A$15.77

-41.30%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₩5,081

$3.90 A$5.54

-1.79%

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

$1.59 ₩2,112

$2.85 A$4.05

-44.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,033

$2.31 A$3.29

-66.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,091

$7.53 A$10.70

-49.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₩5,869

$8.59 A$12.21

-48.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,919

$1.76 A$2.50

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 ₩3,930

$2.81 A$3.99

5.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,692

$2.24 A$3.19

58.04%

Eggs

$3.22 ₩4,269

$5.02 A$7.14

-35.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 ₩17.7K

$9.87 A$14.03

35.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 ₩11.8K

$9.32 A$13.25

-4.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩34.7K

$14.86 A$21.13

76.11%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩11.3K

$3.82 A$5.43

122.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,493

$2.92 A$4.16

16.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 ₩8,513

$3.13 A$4.46

105.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,792

$4.81 A$6.84

22.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,164

$2.80 A$3.98

38.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩3,772

$2.38 A$3.38

19.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,567

$2.37 A$3.37

13.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,532

$1.65 A$2.35

-30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,542

$39.13 A$55.6

-91.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩22.0K

$13.93 A$19.80

18.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₩2,820

$4.96 A$7.05

-57.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,859

$5.17 A$7.35

-43.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$2.42 A$3.44

-54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 ₩64.2K

$94.6 A$135

-48.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,665

$3.49 A$4.97

0.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩866

$1.60 A$2.27

-59.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 ₩12.1K

$39.84 A$56.7

-77.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₩1,832

$1.39 A$1.97

-0.72%

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

$30.3K ₩40.1M

$30.0K A$42.7K

0.84%

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

$30.0K ₩39.8M

$25.8K A$36.6K

16.45%

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

$210 ₩278.3K

$205 A$292

2.28%

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

$40.27 ₩53.4K

$28.33 A$40.29

42.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 ₩32.1K

$58.8 A$83.6

-58.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 ₩71.4K

$55.7 A$79.1

-3.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ₩22.3K

$19.57 A$27.83

-14.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.3K

$15.38 A$21.87

-25.23%

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

$985 ₩1.3M

$2,145 A$3,050

-54.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩31.4M

$18.3K A$26.1K

28.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.2K

$78.3 A$111

-24.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.48 ₩60.3K

$56.3 A$80.0

-19.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩103.9K

$115 A$164

-31.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ₩129.6K

$123 A$175

-20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₩855.8K

$1,591 A$2,262

-59.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₩591.6K

$1,293 A$1,838

-65.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 ₩2.3M

$2,524 A$3,590

-32.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 ₩1.3M

$2,005 A$2,851

-50.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K ₩20.9M

$8,751 A$12.4K

80.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,299 ₩11.0M

$6,260 A$8,901

32.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,345 ₩3.1M

$3,984 A$5,665

-41.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

5.93

-28.67%

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

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

South Korea

$451 28.3%

Australia

$374 14.3% 17% $77

Accommodation & Living

South Korea

$446 27.9%

Australia

$1.3K 49.2% 190% $847

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Korea

$274 17.2%

Australia

$292 11.1% 6.6% $18

Eating Out

South Korea

$163 10.2%

Australia

$297 11.3% 82.5% $134

Clothing & Footwear

South Korea

$126 7.9%

Australia

$168 6.4% 33% $42

Sport & Entertainment

South Korea

$77 4.8%

Australia

$86 3.3% 12.5% $9.6

Getting Around

South Korea

$60 3.7%

Australia

$116 4.4% 94.5% $56

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $493 in South Korea vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $924 in Seoul and $1,749 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,148 in South Korea vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 181% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 100% more in Australia.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 80% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇰🇷 South Korea

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

13:18 1:18 PM

2 h ahead of South Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,466,201

26,473,055

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.76 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.631 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD). 1 EUR = 1,479 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.76 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.631 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Korea Australia 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

South Korea
Australia

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

South Korea vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 39% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $493 in South Korea.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Korea, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

South Korea is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.