Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Pohang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pohang: $1,362 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,362 in Pohang.

Austin, TX $2,663
Pohang $1,362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,682 in Pohang.

Austin, TX $4,133
Pohang $1,682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,002 in Pohang.

Austin, TX $5,603
Pohang $2,002

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 96% more expensive than in Pohang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Pohang 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.91 ₩7,857

251.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.55 ₩30.0K

275.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.52 ₩8,675

88.96%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.02 ₩4,012

86.42%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.48 ₩1,967

151.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.53 ₩710

371.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.64 ₩4,836

121.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.81 ₩5,062

136.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.36 ₩3,142

-52.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.25 ₩4,319

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.46 ₩1,940

123.29%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.73 ₩3,634

52.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.95 ₩14.6K

17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.36 ₩13.8K

36.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$24.86 ₩33.1K

-34.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.20 ₩2,929

96.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.61 ₩4,798

-59.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-42.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.92 ₩3,879

48.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.00 ₩6,653

-48.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.41 ₩4,532

-31.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.27 ₩3,015

-21.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.34 ₩1,785

65.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.31 ₩4,407

198.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.49 ₩8,631

132.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.53 ₩2,031

90.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.49 ₩4,638

-0.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.30 ₩4,388

-17.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.58 ₩766

186.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$16.64 ₩22.1K

112.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.24 ₩1,647

-23.39%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.5K ₩39.2M

22.29%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$28.4K ₩37.8M

-4.66%

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

$229 $229

$102 ₩136.1K

123.73%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$36.26 ₩48.2K

63.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$26.84 ₩35.7K

160.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$30.38 ₩40.4K

88.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.43 ₩9,884

119.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.38 ₩15.1K

25.48%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$637 ₩847.5K

136.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$21.8K ₩29.0M

-1.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$105 ₩139.2K

-49.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$64.3 ₩85.5K

-31.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$92.5 ₩122.9K

-8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$111 ₩147.9K

-7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$447 ₩594.3K

185.03%

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

$2,990 ₩4.0M

5.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,240 ₩3.0M

128.61%

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 Pohang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Pohang

$447 32.8% 64.9% $827

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Pohang

$386 28.3% 4.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Pohang

$165 12.2% 53.8% $193

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Pohang

$137 10.1% 61.3% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Pohang

$168 12.3% 31.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Pohang

$53 3.9% 38.1% $33

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5% 89.5% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 129% 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 Pohang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $386 per month, with Pohang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Pohang

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

09:22 9:22 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

514,869

💱 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 →

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Between locations

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

From you

Austin, TX
Pohang

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 Pohang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohang wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pohang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 129% 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.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $637 in Pohang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pohang – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,362 in Pohang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pohang but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Pohang 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 Pohang 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 Pohang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.