Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ilsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilsan: $1,444 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
Learn more

Ilsan Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,444 in Ilsan.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ilsan $1,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,297 in Ilsan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ilsan $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,151 in Ilsan.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ilsan $3,151

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 84% more expensive than in Ilsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Ilsan 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.30 ₩9,705

184.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$67.4 ₩89.6K

25.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.34 ₩9,763

67.85%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.01 ₩5,337

40.40%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.61 ₩2,139

131.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.77 ₩1,017

224.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.79 ₩5,034

112.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.07 ₩8,070

48.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.08 ₩2,764

-46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.16 ₩4,198

18.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.23 ₩2,971

46.19%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.36 ₩4,466

24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.36 ₩20.4K

-16.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.94 ₩10.6K

78.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.21 ₩14.9K

44.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$7.42 ₩9,860

-41.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.25 ₩4,324

-55.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.75 ₩7,649

-21.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.08 ₩8,087

-28.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.51 ₩4,666

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.37 ₩3,152

-0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.00 ₩2,657

-11.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.14 ₩1,520

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.41 ₩4,535

189.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.73 ₩24.9K

-19.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.23 ₩2,960

30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.35 ₩4,449

3.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.10 ₩1,462

35.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$49.42 ₩65.7K

-15.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.64 ₩4,834

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.63 ₩833

163.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.18 ₩12.2K

284.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.42 ₩1,883

-33.10%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.3K ₩39.0M

22.96%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$28.3K ₩37.6M

-4.22%

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

$229 $229

$213 ₩283.4K

7.43%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$34.95 ₩46.5K

69.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$20.52 ₩27.3K

240.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$52.0 ₩69.2K

10.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.82 ₩15.7K

38.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.30 ₩15.0K

26.37%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$520 ₩691.8K

189.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$17.6K ₩23.4M

21.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-7.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$32.76 ₩43.6K

33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$69.9 ₩93.0K

21.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$83.0 ₩110.3K

24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$482 ₩640.8K

295.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$365 ₩485.2K

249.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,166 ₩1.6M

214.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$738 ₩981.9K

243.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$7,213 ₩9.6M

5.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,518 ₩7.3M

-42.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,453 ₩4.6M

48.32%

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 Ilsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ilsan

$365 25.3% 71.4% $909

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ilsan

$396 27.5% 2% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ilsan

$269 18.6% 25% $90

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ilsan

$169 11.7% 52.2% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ilsan

$109 7.6% 14.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ilsan

$75 5.2% 13% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ilsan

$61 4.2% 3.2% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $482 in Ilsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 48% 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 $67.0 in Ilsan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $396 per month, with Ilsan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

05:45 5:45 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,061,752

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Ilsan 11,160 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ilsan

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 Ilsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilsan wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ilsan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% 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 $482 in Ilsan. 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 $1,444 in Ilsan – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ilsan runs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,444 in Ilsan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ilsan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ilsan 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 Ilsan 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 Ilsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.