Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Seoul

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.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,251

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wollongong and in Seoul

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

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

Wollongong $2,251
Seoul $1,794

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

Wollongong $3,295
Seoul $2,863

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

Wollongong $4,339
Seoul $3,931

Wollongong costs about 25% more than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 A$24.06

$8.80 ₩11.7K

90.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$121

$68.4 ₩90.9K

22.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 A$14.78

$7.54 ₩10.0K

36.21%

Cappuccino

$3.49 A$5.03

$4.23 ₩5,624

-17.49%

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

$3.16 A$4.54

$1.63 ₩2,167

93.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.12

$0.74 ₩985

193.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 A$10.20

$3.64 ₩4,843

94.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.97

$6.15 ₩8,175

12.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.72

$2.01 ₩2,679

-40.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 A$4.20

$3.13 ₩4,164

-6.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.04

$4.32 ₩5,744

-51.16%

Eggs

$3.93 A$5.65

$3.61 ₩4,794

8.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 A$14.96

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-41.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 A$13.62

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-9.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$22.27

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-40.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.17

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-62.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.65

$3.38 ₩4,499

-24.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$5.81 ₩7,723

-43.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 A$6.51

$6.41 ₩8,520

-29.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$3.75 ₩4,983

-38.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.71

$2.54 ₩3,375

1.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.68

$2.84 ₩3,782

-9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.91

$1.11 ₩1,472

19.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.92 A$64.6

$3.35 ₩4,455

1240.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$20.00

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 A$6.31

$2.40 ₩3,185

82.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.72

$3.37 ₩4,480

38.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 A$2.84

$1.14 ₩1,521

72.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 A$5.92

$3.49 ₩4,643

17.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$0.63 ₩840

146.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.79 A$61.6

$8.86 ₩11.8K

382.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.90

$1.51 ₩2,005

-12.58%

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

$26.6K A$38.2K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-9.28%

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

$24.8K A$35.6K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-12.18%

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

$185 A$267

$218 ₩289.2K

-14.76%

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

$27.08 A$38.97

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-22.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 A$73.5

$21.29 ₩28.3K

139.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.8 A$118

$58.1 ₩77.2K

40.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.07 A$20.24

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-12.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 A$18.73

$11.31 ₩15.0K

15.12%

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

$2,148 A$3,091

$1,948 ₩2.6M

10.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K A$29.5K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-10.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$98.1

$57.0 ₩75.8K

19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 A$79.2

$33.39 ₩44.4K

64.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$152

$71.5 ₩95.0K

47.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$155

$82.5 ₩109.7K

30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 A$1,793

$901 ₩1.2M

38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 A$1,552

$612 ₩813.5K

76.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 A$2,802

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 A$2,398

$1,266 ₩1.7M

31.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 A$6,386

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-84.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,676 A$5,290

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-69.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,130 A$7,382

$3,650 ₩4.9M

40.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

4.08

28.19%

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

Last update for Wollongong: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wollongong

$1.1K 47.9%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 43.3% $467

Groceries & Markets

Wollongong

$353 15.7%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 35% $124

Eating Out

Wollongong

$277 12.3%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 33.7% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wollongong

$264 11.7%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 3.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Wollongong

$151 6.7%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 27.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Wollongong

$108 4.8%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 25.2% $27

Getting Around

Wollongong

$20 * 0.9%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 190% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,246 in Wollongong versus $901 in Seoul. 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 $84.0 in Wollongong versus $68.0 in Seoul. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Wollongong vs $477 in Seoul – so Wollongong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

2 h behind Wollongong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

280,153

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wollongong Seoul 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Wollongong
Seoul

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

Wollongong vs Seoul: 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 $3,377 per month in Wollongong and $2,692 in Seoul. 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 $2,251 in Wollongong and $1,794 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 25%.

Kindergarten costs $2,148 per month in Wollongong and $1,948 in Seoul. 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.