Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Gongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongju: $1,539 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Gongju
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Gongju Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Gongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,539 in Gongju.

Austin, TX $2,663
Gongju $1,539

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,437 in Gongju.

Austin, TX $4,133
Gongju $2,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,335 in Gongju.

Austin, TX $5,603
Gongju $3,335

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 73% more expensive than in Gongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Gongju 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.29 ₩9,697

184.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$48.03 ₩63.9K

76.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.54 ₩8,700

88.38%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.77 ₩5,015

49.34%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.85 ₩2,461

101.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.44 ₩1,918

73.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.84 ₩5,104

109.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.30 ₩5,721

109.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.26 ₩3,004

-50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.19 ₩4,246

17.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.16 ₩4,197

3.16%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.74 ₩3,641

52.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.89 ₩14.5K

18.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.47 ₩13.9K

35.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$24.73 ₩32.9K

-34.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-61.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.61 ₩4,803

-59.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$8.27 ₩11.0K

-45.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.95 ₩7,908

-27.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$6.11 ₩8,120

-57.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.22 ₩4,283

-27.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.83 ₩3,766

-37.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.28 ₩1,704

73.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.28 ₩4,357

201.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.67 ₩24.8K

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.38 ₩3,166

22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.53 ₩4,700

-1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.14 ₩1,513

30.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.67 ₩4,884

-25.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.73 ₩967

127.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$17.08 ₩22.7K

106.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.37 ₩1,819

-30.66%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.5K ₩39.3M

22.07%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.3K ₩44.3M

-18.76%

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

$229 $229

$197 ₩262.1K

16.17%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$36.42 ₩48.4K

63.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$26.72 ₩35.5K

161.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.9 ₩69.0K

10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.00 ₩16.0K

36.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.80 ₩15.7K

21.02%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$624 ₩830.3K

141.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$21.6K ₩28.7M

-0.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$104 ₩137.8K

-49.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$66.4 ₩88.3K

-34.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$94.7 ₩125.9K

-10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$127 ₩168.5K

-18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$489 ₩650.1K

290.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$364 ₩484.6K

249.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,153 ₩1.5M

217.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$757 ₩1.0M

235.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$7,239 ₩9.6M

5.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,410 ₩7.2M

-41.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,309 ₩1.7M

291.25%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Gongju: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Gongju

$364 23.7% 71.4% $910

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Gongju

$486 31.6% 20.2% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Gongju

$260 16.9% 27.4% $98

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Gongju

$164 10.7% 53.6% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Gongju

$176 11.5% 37.6% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Gongju

$75 4.9% 12% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Gongju

$12 * 0.8% 79.8% $47

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 $489 in Gongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 291% 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 Gongju. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $486, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Gongju

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

11:36 11:36 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

110,428

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Austin, TX
Gongju

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 Gongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gongju wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 291% 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 $489 in Gongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $624 in Gongju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gongju – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,539 in Gongju versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gongju but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gongju 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 Gongju 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 Gongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.