Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Busan: $1,627 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Busan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,627 in Busan.

Austin, TX $2,704
Busan $1,627

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,557 in Busan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Busan $2,557

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,486 in Busan.

Austin, TX $5,562
Busan $3,486

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 66% more expensive than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Busan 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$7.25 ₩9,741

178.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$48.28 ₩64.8K

76.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$6.47 ₩8,684

90.88%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.65 ₩4,899

49.86%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.77 ₩2,378

115.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.39 ₩1,870

79.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.83 ₩5,149

110.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.37 ₩5,870

105.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.32 ₩3,114

-51.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.26 ₩4,383

15.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.11 ₩4,177

4.50%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.62 ₩3,514

58.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.18 ₩15.0K

16.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.38 ₩13.9K

37.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$25.03 ₩33.6K

-36.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$11.02 ₩14.8K

-60.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.54 ₩4,749

-59.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$7.86 ₩10.6K

-42.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.85 ₩7,863

-28.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$5.88 ₩7,901

-55.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.39 ₩4,556

-30.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.73 ₩3,665

-35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.32 ₩1,775

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.33 ₩4,469

194.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$18.44 ₩24.8K

-20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.38 ₩3,191

16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.48 ₩4,668

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.19 ₩1,592

25.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$59.1 ₩79.4K

-31.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.60 ₩4,839

-25.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.72 ₩964

119.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$16.66 ₩22.4K

111.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.36 ₩1,830

-27.21%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$29.8K ₩40.1M

19.99%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.8K ₩45.4M

-19.53%

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

$219 $219

$196 ₩263.8K

11.63%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$36.52 ₩49.1K

58.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$27.50 ₩36.9K

148.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$62.5 ₩83.9K

-7.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$9.62 ₩12.9K

54.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$12.04 ₩16.2K

17.36%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$637 ₩855.9K

136.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$21.6K ₩29.0M

-0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$106 ₩142.6K

-51.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$65.6 ₩88.0K

-32.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$94.5 ₩126.9K

-9.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$128 ₩172.1K

-17.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$734 ₩985.6K

163.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$365 ₩489.9K

248.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,341 ₩1.8M

173.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$701 ₩941.6K

260.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$10.0K ₩13.4M

-23.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$6,421 ₩8.6M

-50.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,841 ₩3.8M

79.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.22

60.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Busan

$365 22.7% 71.3% $908

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Busan

$483 30.1% 19.9% $80

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Busan

$162 10.1% 53.5% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Busan

$260 16.2% 24.6% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Busan

$177 11.1% 37.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Busan

$87 5.4% 0.4% $0.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Busan

$71 4.4% 24.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $734 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 80% 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 $48.00 in Busan. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $483, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

12:12 12:12 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,586,079

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

KRW to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Busan 11,240 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Busan

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 Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $734 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,627 in Busan – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 46% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,627 in Busan versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Busan 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 Busan 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 Busan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.