Before moving to Australia, most people add it up. Flights, furniture, a used car — then a total.
But on arrival, what catches people out isn’t the total.
“Why is the money disappearing so fast?”
Because most settling costs aren’t money spent — they’re money that gets locked up.
The bottom line
- Early on, cash gets locked up faster, and in larger amounts, than expected
- The rental bond and rent in advance go out first
- A Sydney family rental now runs close to A$1,000/week — six weeks of it ties up about ₩5M up front
- The FX rate makes a bigger difference than furniture
- A family realistically needs A$40,000–55,000 (about ₩36–50M) in accessible cash
- Budget by “when do I need how much,” not “how much total”
The money that goes out first
When you take a lease you usually pay a bond (4 weeks) plus 2 weeks in advance — so at move-in, about six weeks of rent goes out at once.
A family home in Sydney now runs around A$950/week (good areas and houses, over a thousand). At A$950:
- Bond (4 wk): A$3,800
- Advance (2 wk): A$1,900
- Total A$5,700 → about ₩5.13M at ₩900
The bond comes back later — but early on, it’s cash locked up.
Cash disappears faster — and bigger — than you think
| Item | AUD | KRW (@₩900) |
|---|---|---|
| Bond + advance (6 wk) | A$5,700 | ₩5.13M |
| Furniture & appliances (a family set) | A$8,000 | ₩7.2M |
| Used car (optional) | A$18,000 | ₩16.2M |
| Living buffer (3 months, pre-income) | A$20,000 | ₩18M |
| Total | A$51,700 | ~₩46.5M |
A family commonly plans A$40,000–55,000 (about ₩36–50M). (Skip the car or buy cheaply and it drops; if work takes longer, it rises.)
The key — most of it lands in the first one or two months.
The real variable is FX
People ask “how much for appliances?” first. But the rate makes the bigger difference.
Say you move a settling sum of A$50,000:
| Rate | Won needed |
|---|---|
| ₩900 | ₩45M |
| ₩950 | ₩47.5M |
| ₩1,000 | ₩50M |
A ₩50 move is ₩2.5M; a ₩100 move is ₩5M — enough to buy your whole furniture set again.
So your settling fund is decided less by how much you bring than by when you convert it.
Order matters more than the total
The better question is “when do I need how much?”
- Before you leave — FX plan · whether to clear Korean assets · remittance plan
- Just before move-in — bond + advance (~₩5.13M)
- First month — furniture & appliances (~₩7.2M)
- Month 1–2 — used car (~₩16.2M)
- Until you’re earning — living buffer (~₩18M)
The same A$50,000 is enough if you know when you’ll spend it, short if you don’t.
So budget like this
As line-item totals (furniture ₩7.2M, car ₩16.2M, living ₩18M) it feels daunting; as cash flow it’s clear:
just before move-in ₩5M → first month ₩7M → month 1–2 ₩16M → until earning ₩18M.
Money is a cash-flow problem, not a total.
The last line
Settling in Australia is a cash-flow problem, not a spending one. Not how much you spend — but when, and how much, gets locked up.
Read next
- The Korea–Australia money map · Sending money from Korea to Australia
- AUD–KRW exchange rate and remittance timing · Tax residency, Korea vs Australia
- The money map for arriving in Australia
- Renting in Australia: the cash that gets locked up first
Disclaimer: Costs vary widely by area, family size, and FX; this is a general example. Confirm your own plan for your situation.