Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ongjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $710 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
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Ongjin Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $710 in Ongjin.

Austin, TX $2,704
Ongjin $710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,126 in Ongjin.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ongjin $1,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,543 in Ongjin.

Austin, TX $5,562
Ongjin $1,543

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 281% more expensive than in Ongjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Ongjin is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.79 $2.79

624.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$23.34 $23.34

264.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.98 $7.98

54.76%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.16 $1.16

371.55%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.98 $0.98

289.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.98 $0.98

155.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$6.64 $6.64

21.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.26 $2.26

297.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.93 $0.93

21.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.57 $1.57

140.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.26 $2.26

43.81%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.28 $3.28

26.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$4.66 $4.66

180.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$2.29 $2.29

524.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$5.67 $5.67

181.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$6.80 $6.80

-35.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$4.63 $4.63

-68.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.34 $2.34

94.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.29 $2.29

82.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.50 $3.50

-24.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.33 $3.33

-29.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.31 $2.31

-23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.43 $0.43

402.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.67 $4.67

110.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.81 $7.81

88.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.11 $1.11

150.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.23 $2.23

56.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.00 $1.00

49.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$39.98 $39.98

1.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.57 $1.57

70.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.23 $2.23

-29.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$41.01 $41.01

-13.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.75 $0.75

32.00%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$23.0K $23.0K

55.73%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

-2.58%

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

$219 $219

$33.78 $33.78

549.11%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$11.46 $11.46

406.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$45.71 $45.71

49.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$43.61 $43.61

32.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$14.96 $14.96

-0.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.75 $7.75

82.32%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$109 $109

1281.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,117 $2,117

913.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$22.72 $22.72

127.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$27.97 $27.97

57.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$61.6 $61.6

38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$84.1 $84.1

25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$89.2 $89.2

2066.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$91.3 $91.3

1293.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,244 $2,244

63.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$136 $136

1754.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,691 $1,691

350.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,423 $1,423

124.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$214 $214

2281.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.11

-4.50%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ongjin: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Ongjin

$91 12.7% 92.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Ongjin

$229 31.8% 43.1% $174

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Ongjin

$106 14.7% 69.6% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Ongjin

$91 12.6% 73.7% $255

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Ongjin

$88 12.3% 31.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Ongjin

$59 8.2% 31.4% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Ongjin

$57 7.9% 0.5% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $89.2 in Ongjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2282% 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 $23.00 in Ongjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $229 per month, with Ongjin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

16:03 4:03 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

152,878

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ongjin 11,210 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ongjin

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 Ongjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongjin wins on cost – living expenses run 281% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ongjin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2282% 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 $89.2 in Ongjin. 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 $710 in Ongjin – a 281% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ongjin runs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $710 in Ongjin versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongjin but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ongjin 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 Ongjin 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 Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 281% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.