GeoRealityMatch
A scenic aerial view of Canberra highlighting Telstra Tower and surrounding landscape under a blue sky.Australia
Aerial skyline of Seoul from forested hillsides, featuring distant mountains.South Korea

Compare countries · Australia vs South Korea

Australia vs South Korea

AustraliaAustralia and New ZealandSouth KoreaEastern Asia

South Korea is cheaper (cost of living 61.6 vs 67.9).Australia is more peaceful (Global Peace Index 1.602 vs 1.839), scores higher on human development (0.958 vs 0.937) and has the higher income per person ($64,120 vs $37,880).About the same on life expectancy (Australia 83.1, South Korea 83.6 years).

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Safety

Australia is the more peaceful

Global Peace Indexlower is more peaceful
Australia1.602Very high safety#20 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
South Korea1.839High safety#56 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Homicidesper 100,000 people a year
Australia0.9LowUNODC / World Bank · 2023
South Korea0.5Very lowUNODC / World Bank · 2023
Safety indexNumbeo's safety index, higher is safer
Australia52.5ModerateNumbeo · 2026
South Korea71HighNumbeo · 2026
UK travel adviceFCDO, for British travellers
AustraliaNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
South KoreaNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
Money

Income per person is higher in Australia

GNI per personnational income per person, US dollars
Australia$64,120Very highWorld Bank · 2025
South Korea$37,880Very highWorld Bank · 2025
Cost of living indexexcluding rent, New York = 100
Australia67.9ExpensiveNumbeo · 2026
South Korea61.6ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Rent indexNew York = 100
Australia33.7Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
South Korea16.1ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Property price to incomeyears of median income to buy a median flat
Australia8.2AffordableNumbeo · 2026
South Korea24.1Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Health

Life expectancy: South Korea 83.6, Australia 83.1

Life expectancyyears, at birth
Australia83.1Very high#16 of 195World Bank · 2024
South Korea83.6Very high#11 of 195World Bank · 2024
Health coverageWHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100
Australia89Very highWHO · 2023
South Korea88Very highWHO · 2023
Air pollutionPM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national average
Australia6.2Very lowWHO · 2023
South Korea19.2ModerateWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Broadband is faster in South Korea

Home internetmedian download speed
Australia157 MbpsVery fast#46 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
South Korea253 MbpsVery fast#18 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiencyEF English Proficiency Index score
AustraliaNative EnglishNativeEF EPI · 2025
South Korea522ModerateEF EPI · 2025
How it changed

Human development: Australia 0.958, South Korea 0.937

AustraliaSouth Korea

UNDP Human Development Report, 1990–2023.

Year by year:AustraliaSouth Korea

Practical facts

Capital
Canberra
Seoul
Population
27.6M (2025)
51.7M (2025)
Languages
English
Korean
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD)
South Korean won (KRW)
Area
7,692,020 km²
97,600 km²
Plug type
Type I
Type C/F
Drives on the
left
right
Short visit
Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports
Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports

Short visits: passport-index-dataset, 2024, for UK, EU (German) and US passports. Population and area: World Bank. Languages, currency and driving side: restcountries.com. Plug types: worldstandards.eu.

Every figure

Australia and South Korea, side by side

The same figures as a facts file

Quick answers

Is Australia cheaper than South Korea?

Numbeo's 2026 cost-of-living index (NYC = 100) puts Australia at 67.9 and South Korea at 61.6. South Korea is about 9% cheaper overall.

Is Australia or South Korea safer?

On the Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful), Australia scores 1.60 and South Korea scores 1.84. Australia ranks as the more peaceful of the two.

Which has the higher quality of life, Australia or South Korea?

On the UN Human Development Index, Australia scores 0.958 and South Korea scores 0.937. Australia scores higher on this composite of income, health and education. Single indexes hide trade-offs; the full comparison above shows where each country wins.

What is life like in Australia compared to South Korea?

GNI per capita runs $64,120 in Australia against $37,880 in South Korea; people live 83.1 years on average against 83.6; Numbeo users rate healthcare 72 against 83. Those are national averages and they hide the thing you actually feel: capital-city costs run well ahead of the national figure in most countries, and rural provision of healthcare and internet often lags the number shown here. The table below splits it indicator by indicator.

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Every figure is sourced where it is shown. A dash means the country has no figure from that source.Photographs by Daniel Morton-Jones, 정규송 Nui MALAMA on Pexels