Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,111 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
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Jeju Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,111 in Jeju.

Austin, TX $2,704
Jeju $1,111

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,874 in Jeju.

Austin, TX $4,133
Jeju $1,874

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,637 in Jeju.

Austin, TX $5,562
Jeju $2,637

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 143% more expensive than in Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Jeju is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$7.26 ₩9,749

178.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$52.0 ₩69.9K

63.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.44 ₩7,308

127.02%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$6.03 ₩8,099

-9.29%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.22 ₩2,988

72.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.94 ₩2,601

28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.58 ₩4,808

125.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.91 ₩3,907

208.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.22 ₩2,987

-49.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.21 ₩2,968

71.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.29 ₩3,079

41.92%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.70 ₩3,621

53.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.13 ₩2,866

-31.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.93 ₩3,934

-10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.87 ₩2,512

26.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.18 ₩2,932

-19.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.43 ₩579

402.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.41 ₩15.3K

29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.93 ₩2,594

44.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.72 ₩2,305

102.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.95 ₩1,275

56.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.39 ₩1,862

-28.78%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$219 $219

$210 ₩282.5K

4.25%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$54.7 ₩73.5K

5.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$19.28 ₩25.9K

254.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$24.6K ₩33.0M

-12.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$52.2 ₩70.2K

-1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$29.57 ₩39.7K

48.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$65.8 ₩88.3K

29.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$89.9 ₩120.8K

17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$460 ₩618.0K

319.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$382 ₩512.5K

233.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,317 ₩1.8M

178.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,145 ₩1.5M

120.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$10.4K ₩14.0M

-26.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$6,745 ₩9.1M

-52.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,840 ₩2.5M

177.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Jeju

$382 34.6% 70% $891

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Jeju

$139 * 12.6% 65.4% $263

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Jeju

$187 17% 46.2% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Jeju

$284 25.8% 17.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Jeju

$107 9.7% 17% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Jeju

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Jeju

$3.8 * 0.3% 93.3% $53

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $460 in Jeju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 177% 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 $52.0 in Jeju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $139 per month, with Jeju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

12:49 12:49 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

469,279

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

KRW to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Jeju 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Jeju

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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeju wins on cost – living expenses run 143% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jeju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 177% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $460 in Jeju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,111 in Jeju – a 143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 189% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,111 in Jeju versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeju but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jeju 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 Jeju 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 Jeju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.