Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bucheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucheon: $1,477 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Bucheon
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Bucheon Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Bucheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Bucheon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,477 in Bucheon.

Austin, TX $2,663
Bucheon $1,477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,387 in Bucheon.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bucheon $2,387

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,297 in Bucheon.

Austin, TX $5,603
Bucheon $3,297

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 80% more expensive than in Bucheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Bucheon 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.14 ₩12.2K

127.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$67.2 ₩89.3K

25.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.55 ₩10.0K

63.18%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.19 ₩5,577

34.37%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.57 ₩2,083

136.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.82 ₩1,095

204.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.71 ₩4,939

116.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.10 ₩8,111

47.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.07 ₩2,756

-45.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.13 ₩4,168

19.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.26 ₩5,666

-23.47%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.68 ₩4,899

13.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$17.76 ₩23.6K

-27.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.31 ₩13.7K

37.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$26.60 ₩35.4K

-39.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-42.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.36 ₩4,467

-56.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.69 ₩7,568

-20.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.33 ₩8,410

-31.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.62 ₩4,810

-28.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.58 ₩3,435

-8.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.81 ₩3,734

-36.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.15 ₩1,531

93.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.28 ₩4,356

201.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.57 ₩24.7K

-18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.29 ₩3,044

27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.28 ₩4,365

5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.11 ₩1,470

34.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.50 ₩4,651

-22.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.65 ₩858

155.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.16 ₩12.2K

285.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.50 ₩1,988

-36.67%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.9K ₩38.4M

24.71%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$27.7K ₩36.8M

-2.30%

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

$229 $229

$211 ₩279.9K

8.76%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$35.07 ₩46.6K

69.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$20.44 ₩27.2K

242.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.4 ₩68.4K

11.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.05 ₩16.0K

35.52%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.12 ₩14.8K

28.42%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$528 ₩701.6K

185.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$22.4K ₩29.7M

-4.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.21 ₩44.2K

31.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$69.2 ₩92.0K

22.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$83.0 ₩110.4K

24.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$483 ₩642.0K

295.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$353 ₩469.7K

260.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,180 ₩1.6M

210.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$751 ₩998.3K

238.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$7,217 ₩9.6M

5.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,428 ₩7.2M

-41.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,504 ₩2.0M

240.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.08

66.42%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bucheon: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Bucheon

$353 23.9% 72.3% $921

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Bucheon

$477 32.3% 17.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Bucheon

$266 18% 25.7% $92

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Bucheon

$186 12.6% 47.3% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Bucheon

$109 7.4% 14.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bucheon

$74 5% 14.1% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Bucheon

$11 * 0.8% 81% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $483 in Bucheon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 241% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $67.0 in Bucheon. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $477, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Bucheon

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

11:00 11:00 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

848,191

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

KRW to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bucheon 11,170 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bucheon

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

Austin, TX vs Bucheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucheon wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bucheon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 241% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $483 in Bucheon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $528 in Bucheon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bucheon – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,477 in Bucheon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucheon but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bucheon 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, Austin, TX and Bucheon 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 Bucheon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.