Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Daejeon

For one person, living is cheaper in Daejeon: $1,344 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,344 in Daejeon.

Austin, TX $2,663
Daejeon $1,344

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,104 in Daejeon.

Austin, TX $4,133
Daejeon $2,104

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,865 in Daejeon.

Austin, TX $5,603
Daejeon $2,865

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 98% more expensive than in Daejeon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Daejeon 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.28 ₩9,678

185.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$36.77 ₩48.9K

130.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.57 ₩7,412

121.18%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.60 ₩4,784

56.39%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.22 ₩1,622

204.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.65 ₩859

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.50 ₩4,659

130.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.70 ₩4,917

143.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.18 ₩2,900

-48.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.66 ₩3,542

40.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.64 ₩3,514

23.48%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.55 ₩3,385

63.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.92 ₩14.5K

18.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.24 ₩11.0K

71.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$20.43 ₩27.2K

-20.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$11.12 ₩14.8K

-61.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$5.49 ₩7,300

-73.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.81 ₩7,732

-22.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.07 ₩8,072

-28.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.34 ₩7,102

-51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.82 ₩3,744

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.71 ₩2,273

4.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.14 ₩1,510

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.33 ₩4,426

196.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.90 ₩25.1K

-20.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.55 ₩3,393

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.54 ₩4,712

-2.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.10 ₩1,456

35.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$11.09 ₩14.7K

276.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.31 ₩4,398

-17.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.71 ₩950

133.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$16.82 ₩22.4K

109.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.23 ₩1,638

-22.76%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.5K ₩37.8M

26.70%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.7K ₩31.6M

14.05%

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

$229 $229

$172 ₩228.4K

33.29%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$42.96 ₩57.1K

38.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$22.18 ₩29.5K

215.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$33.10 ₩44.0K

72.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.31 ₩15.0K

26.26%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$304 ₩403.8K

395.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$21.9K ₩29.1M

-2.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$64.5 ₩85.8K

-18.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$41.91 ₩55.7K

4.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$92.4 ₩122.8K

-8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$107 ₩142.0K

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$369 ₩490.2K

417.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$294 ₩391.3K

332.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,028 ₩1.4M

256.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$593 ₩788.5K

328.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,547 ₩7.4M

37.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$4,546 ₩6.0M

-30.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,336 ₩3.1M

119.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.65

86.03%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Daejeon

$294 21.9% 76.9% $980

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Daejeon

$446 33.2% 10.3% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Daejeon

$237 17.6% 33.9% $121

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Daejeon

$151 11.2% 57.5% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Daejeon

$138 10.2% 7.5% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Daejeon

$56 4.2% 35.1% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Daejeon

$22 1.7% 61.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $369 in Daejeon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 119% 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 $37.00 in Daejeon. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $446, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

05:00 5:00 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,537,324

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 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 →

On the map

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

From you

Austin, TX
Daejeon

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 Daejeon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Daejeon wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Daejeon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 119% 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 $369 in Daejeon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,344 in Daejeon – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Daejeon runs roughly 276% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,344 in Daejeon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Daejeon but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Daejeon 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 Daejeon 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 Daejeon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.