Cost of living in Seoul: cheaper rent, cheap trains, pricey fruit

Most Australians find Seoul cheaper than home. The catch: it's cheaper in odd places and dearer in others, and the deposit can wipe out your savings before you've bought a single kimbap.

The short version

• A central one-bedroom flat in Seoul averages about A$1,240 a month in crowd-sourced data, roughly half of Melbourne's figure [1][2].
• A subway ride starts at 1,550 won on a transport card, about A$1.65 [3][4]. In Sydney and Melbourne a single trip is A$4.60 to A$5.50 [2][5].
• Eating out is good value: a cheap restaurant meal is around 11,000 won, under half the Australian price [1][2].
• Coffee, imported food and fresh fruit are where Seoul catches up or overtakes.
• Budget for a rental deposit up front. It's the biggest cash hit of the move.

Seoul vs Sydney vs Melbourne: the numbers

These figures come from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced price site, converted at the Reserve Bank's rate of about 942 won to the Australian dollar on 5 November 2026 [4]. Seoul's transport fare comes from Seoul Metro's official fare page [3]. Crowd-sourced data is a guide, not a guarantee, and Numbeo's Sydney page was last refreshed in 2022, so Sydney rents in particular are likely higher now [5].

Sources: Seoul [1][3], Melbourne [2], Sydney [5], exchange rate [4].

Rent: the big saving, with a big upfront cost

Rent is where Seoul wins clearly. A central one-bedroom at about A$1,240 a month works out near A$290 a week. In Melbourne the crowd-sourced figure is around A$570 a week [2].

But Korean leases run on deposits. On a standard monthly-rent lease you'll usually put down a deposit of several million won or more, and bigger deposits buy lower rent. If you're teaching, your school may provide a flat. If you're not, keep a deposit fund separate from your living money. Our guide to renting in Seoul explains jeonse, wolse and the checks to make before paying.

The cheapest option is a goshiwon: a tiny single room with shared facilities. It's a fine landing pad and a hard way to live long term.

Getting around: Seoul's best bargain

Subway and buses

Seoul Metro charges 1,550 won for a trip up to 10 kilometres on a transport card, plus 100 won for every extra 5 kilometres up to 50 kilometres [3]. Single-journey paper tickets cost 100 won more [3]. Transfers between subway and bus are discounted when you tap the same card, so a cross-city commute rarely tops 2,000 won.

A T-money card costs 3,000 to 5,000 won at convenience stores and station information centres [6].

What happened to the Climate Card?

Seoul's Climate Card was an unlimited transport pass. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the 30-day version was discontinued from 1 October 2026, and use is now limited to within Seoul [6]. Short-term passes remain, from 5,000 won for one day to 20,000 won for seven days [6]. They're handy for your first week; after that, pay-as-you-go is usually the cheapest route.

Compared with home

A daily return commute in Seoul costs roughly A$3.30. In Sydney and Melbourne single fares are around A$4.60 to A$5.50 each way [2][5], so a car-free life in Seoul saves real money.

Groceries and eating out

Where you save

• Korean food out. A bowl of soup, a set lunch or kimbap from a chain costs less than a sandwich in the CBD back home. The crowd-sourced "cheap meal" sits at about 11,000 won [1].
• Beer and soju at local bars. About A$5.30 a pint versus A$8 to A$14 in Australian cities [1][2][5].
• Internet. Fast home broadband is about half the Australian price [1][2].

Where you don't

• Coffee. Seoul is café-mad, and a cappuccino is about A$5.60, roughly what you'd pay in Melbourne [1][2].
• Fresh fruit. Apples, melons and grapes can be eye-wateringly expensive, especially boxed premium fruit around Chuseok and Lunar New Year.
• Imported Western food. Cheese, Vegemite, decent bread and Aussie snacks cost a premium at foreign grocers in Itaewon and online.
• Utilities in winter. Underfloor heating in a draughty building adds up fast in January.

A sample monthly budget

Here's an illustrative single-person budget for 2026. It's built from the averages above, not a guarantee.

At about 942 won to the dollar [4], that's roughly A$1,700 to A$1,900 a month for the modest version and A$3,300 to A$3,700 for the comfortable one, before the deposit and any health insurance.

How to make your money go further

1. Live near your subway line. Commute time costs more than the fare.
2. Eat Korean at lunch. Set lunch menus near offices are the best value in the city.
3. Shop at traditional markets for vegetables. Mangwon Market and Gwangjang Market are livelier and often cheaper than supermarkets.
4. Move money home smartly. Bank transfers can lose a surprising amount to fees and poor rates. Compare before you send.
5. Negotiate the deposit-rent mix. Offering a bigger deposit can cut your monthly rent.

Want real numbers from people living it? Ask in Cooee South Korea, our Facebook group for Australians in South Korea, where members compare rents, bills and what a decent flat white costs in their neighbourhood.

Sources

1. Cost of living in Seoul – Numbeo
2. Cost of living in Melbourne – Numbeo
3. User guide: fare – Seoul Metro
4. Exchange rates – Reserve Bank of Australia
5. Cost of living in Sydney – Numbeo
6. Transportation cards – VISITKOREA (Korea Tourism Organization)

Keep reading

• Renting in Seoul as an Australian
• Moving to Seoul from Australia: the complete guide
• Working holiday and teaching English in Korea
• Sending money home without losing it to fees