Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Icheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Icheon: $1,595 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,595 in Icheon.

Austin, TX $2,663
Icheon $1,595

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,043 in Icheon.

Austin, TX $4,133
Icheon $2,043

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,491 in Icheon.

Austin, TX $5,603
Icheon $2,491

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 67% more expensive than in Icheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Icheon 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.20 ₩8,238

235.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$48.38 ₩64.3K

74.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.62 ₩8,804

86.10%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.70 ₩4,924

52.16%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.33 ₩1,774

179.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.17 ₩1,553

113.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.80 ₩5,052

111.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.22 ₩5,607

113.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.23 ₩2,970

-49.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.27 ₩4,346

14.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.21 ₩4,263

1.56%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.74 ₩3,650

52.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.97 ₩14.6K

17.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.56 ₩14.0K

34.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$25.36 ₩33.7K

-36.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$11.33 ₩15.1K

-61.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.56 ₩4,731

-58.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$8.13 ₩10.8K

-44.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.90 ₩7,849

-26.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$6.05 ₩8,043

-57.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.38 ₩4,489

-30.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.74 ₩3,647

-35.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.28 ₩1,701

73.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.29 ₩4,378

200.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.65 ₩24.8K

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.44 ₩3,245

19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.42 ₩4,546

1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.10 ₩1,466

35.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.64 ₩4,836

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.77 ₩1,028

115.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$16.77 ₩22.3K

110.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.37 ₩1,821

-30.66%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.9K ₩39.8M

20.45%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.4K ₩44.4M

-18.93%

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

$229 $229

$200 ₩265.3K

14.76%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$36.02 ₩47.9K

64.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$27.21 ₩36.2K

156.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$22.45 ₩29.8K

154.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.28 ₩15.0K

26.60%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$642 ₩853.2K

134.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$22.1K ₩29.4M

-2.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$106 ₩141.3K

-50.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$65.5 ₩87.1K

-33.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$93.9 ₩124.8K

-9.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$129 ₩171.6K

-20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$748 ₩994.5K

154.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$459 ₩609.7K

177.82%

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

$2,317 ₩3.1M

120.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.9

74.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Icheon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Icheon

$459 28.8% 64% $815

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Icheon

$488 30.6% 20.7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Icheon

$263 16.5% 26.7% $96

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Icheon

$151 9.5% 57.2% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Icheon

$178 11.1% 38.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Icheon

$45 2.8% 47.5% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Icheon

$12 * 0.8% 79.7% $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 $748 in Icheon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 121% 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 Icheon. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $488, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Icheon

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

06:40 6:40 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

213,059

💱 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 Icheon 11,150 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Icheon

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 Icheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Icheon wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Icheon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 121% 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 $748 in Icheon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $642 in Icheon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Icheon – 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 $1,595 in Icheon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Icheon but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Icheon 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 Icheon 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 Icheon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.