Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Gimcheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Gimcheon: $1,319 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Gimcheon
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Gimcheon Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Gimcheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,319 in Gimcheon.

Austin, TX $2,663
Gimcheon $1,319

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,779 in Gimcheon.

Austin, TX $4,133
Gimcheon $1,779

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,239 in Gimcheon.

Austin, TX $5,603
Gimcheon $2,239

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 102% more expensive than in Gimcheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Gimcheon is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.09 ₩8,091

241.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$34.04 ₩45.3K

148.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.71 ₩8,928

83.61%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.70 ₩4,921

52.16%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.61 ₩2,136

131.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.63 ₩842

296.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.52 ₩4,683

128.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.47 ₩5,939

101.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.24 ₩2,975

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.21 ₩4,264

16.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.26 ₩3,010

44.25%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.31 ₩4,401

25.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.79 ₩21.0K

-18.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.71 ₩10.3K

83.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.34 ₩15.1K

43.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$7.77 ₩10.3K

-44.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.24 ₩4,302

-54.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$7.36 ₩9,792

-38.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.78 ₩9,020

-35.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.56 ₩4,735

-27.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.41 ₩3,203

-2.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.04 ₩2,712

-12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.48 ₩1,971

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.44 ₩4,572

187.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.48 ₩24.6K

-18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.31 ₩3,071

26.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.03 ₩1,367

44.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.93 ₩3,895

-6.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.66 ₩877

151.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.15 ₩1,525

-17.39%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.5K ₩39.2M

22.16%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.9K ₩47.8M

-24.66%

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

$229 $229

$213 ₩283.8K

7.29%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$44.15 ₩58.7K

34.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$20.62 ₩27.4K

239.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$70.7 ₩93.9K

-18.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.36 ₩15.1K

25.70%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$303 ₩403.1K

396.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$17.7K ₩23.5M

21.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$66.7 ₩88.7K

-20.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$64.2 ₩85.3K

-31.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$74.1 ₩98.5K

14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$98.6 ₩131.1K

4.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$296 ₩393.1K

545.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$244 ₩324.3K

422.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,930 ₩2.6M

165.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.1

65.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gimcheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Gimcheon

$244 18.5% 80.9% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Gimcheon

$408 * 30.9% 0.9% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Gimcheon

$278 21.1% 22.4% $80

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Gimcheon

$149 11.3% 58% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Gimcheon

$137 10.4% 6.7% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Gimcheon

$93 7.1% 8.8% $7.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Gimcheon

$10 * 0.8% 82.4% $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 $296 in Gimcheon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 165% 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 $34.00 in Gimcheon. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $408, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Gimcheon

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

06:26 6:26 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

143,056

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Gimcheon 11,220 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Gimcheon

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 Gimcheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gimcheon wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gimcheon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 165% 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 $296 in Gimcheon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $303 in Gimcheon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gimcheon – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,319 in Gimcheon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gimcheon but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gimcheon 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 Gimcheon 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 Gimcheon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.