Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwon and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwon: $1,363 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Suwon
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Suwon Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Suwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,363

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suwon 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 Suwon and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,363 in Suwon versus $2,853 in Melbourne.

Suwon $1,363
Melbourne $2,853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Suwon versus $4,275 in Melbourne.

Suwon $2,148
Melbourne $4,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,933 in Suwon versus $5,697 in Melbourne.

Suwon $2,933
Melbourne $5,697

Living in Suwon costs roughly 52% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Suwon 1% above, Melbourne 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 ₩7,921

$17.20 A$24.75

-65.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.15 ₩40.1K

$83.1 A$120

-63.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 ₩10.1K

$12.43 A$17.88

-39.10%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ₩4,512

$4.05 A$5.82

-16.30%

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

$1.60 ₩2,126

$3.12 A$4.50

-48.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩836

$2.46 A$3.54

-74.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 ₩5,129

$9.52 A$13.71

-59.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 ₩6,336

$8.16 A$11.74

-41.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 ₩3,528

$1.56 A$2.25

69.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 ₩3,546

$2.90 A$4.18

-7.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 ₩4,517

$2.66 A$3.82

27.82%

Eggs

$3.15 ₩4,184

$5.37 A$7.72

-41.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 ₩14.7K

$10.67 A$15.36

3.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.50 ₩15.3K

$9.85 A$14.17

16.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.7K

$15.36 A$22.11

-27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.28 ₩8,355

$4.17 A$6.00

50.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 ₩3,916

$3.15 A$4.53

-6.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 ₩7,030

$3.26 A$4.69

62.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 ₩5,910

$4.76 A$6.85

-6.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,590

$3.06 A$4.41

12.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,516

$2.47 A$3.55

6.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.86 ₩6,458

$2.45 A$3.52

98.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₩1,726

$1.63 A$2.34

-20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ₩5,029

$45.17 A$65.0

-91.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 ₩18.4K

$12.68 A$18.25

9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₩3,369

$5.69 A$8.18

-55.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₩4,939

$5.23 A$7.53

-29.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₩1,603

$3.87 A$5.57

-68.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.15 ₩62.7K

$142 A$204

-66.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 ₩3,739

$4.54 A$6.53

-38.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩882

$1.42 A$2.04

-53.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$30.59 A$44.01

-71.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₩1,856

$1.47 A$2.11

-4.76%

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

$28.4K ₩37.7M

$28.9K A$41.5K

-1.71%

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

$25.5K ₩33.9M

$25.9K A$37.3K

-1.73%

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

$185 ₩246.1K

$235 A$338

-21.26%

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

$17.99 ₩23.9K

$27.45 A$39.51

-34.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.72 ₩23.6K

$56.1 A$80.8

-68.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.21 ₩58.8K

$50.1 A$72.1

-11.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.73 ₩15.6K

$21.49 A$30.93

-45.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 ₩14.9K

$17.76 A$25.56

-36.88%

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

$696 ₩925.0K

$2,385 A$3,432

-70.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K ₩24.0M

$29.7K A$42.7K

-39.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.84 ₩49.0K

$79.2 A$114

-53.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$106 ₩140.4K

$49.49 A$71.2

113.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 ₩98.1K

$118 A$170

-37.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 ₩78.7K

$132 A$190

-55.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 ₩575.7K

$1,763 A$2,537

-75.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₩466.4K

$1,411 A$2,031

-75.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₩1.5M

$3,522 A$5,069

-66.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 ₩1.1M

$2,525 A$3,634

-67.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K ₩16.8M

$7,136 A$10.3K

77.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,005 ₩9.3M

$6,355 A$9,144

10.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,576 ₩3.4M

$4,258 A$6,128

-39.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.9

10.17%

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

Last update for Suwon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Suwon

$394 28.9%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 1.4% $5.7

Accommodation & Living

Suwon

$351 25.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 302% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suwon

$221 16.2%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 44.3% $98

Eating Out

Suwon

$149 10.9%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 108% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Suwon

$124 9.1%

Melbourne

$171 6% 37.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Suwon

$67 4.9%

Melbourne

$86 3% 28.5% $19

Getting Around

Suwon

$58 4.3%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 191% $111

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Suwon and $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 65% 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: $30.00 in Suwon vs $83.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $394 vs $388, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Suwon

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

06:09 6:09 AM

2 h ahead of Suwon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,203,000

5,031,195

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Suwon Melbourne 8,550 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Suwon
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

Suwon vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suwon and Melbourne differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,363 vs $2,853 including rent). Suwon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $433 in Suwon versus $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Suwon versus $2,385 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,363 in Suwon versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suwon but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Suwon 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, Suwon 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 Suwon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.