Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Songdo-dong

For one person, living is cheaper in Songdo-dong: $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
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Austin, TX Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Songdo-dong
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Songdo-dong Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Songdo-dong

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 Songdo-dong 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 Songdo-dong.

Austin, TX $2,663
Songdo-dong $1,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,292 in Songdo-dong.

Austin, TX $4,133
Songdo-dong $2,292

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,140 in Songdo-dong.

Austin, TX $5,603
Songdo-dong $3,140

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.87 ₩7,825

253.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$34.90 ₩46.6K

142.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.63 ₩8,847

85.82%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.62 ₩4,831

55.52%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.53 ₩2,039

143.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.58 ₩780

331.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.06 ₩4,077

163.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.56 ₩6,088

97.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.20 ₩2,935

-49.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.06 ₩4,080

22.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.35 ₩3,137

38.72%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.33 ₩4,444

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.79 ₩21.1K

-18.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.80 ₩10.4K

81.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.34 ₩15.1K

43.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$7.80 ₩10.4K

-44.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.18 ₩4,249

-54.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$7.67 ₩10.2K

-41.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.78 ₩9,048

-35.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.55 ₩4,736

-27.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.42 ₩3,227

-2.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.04 ₩2,727

-12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.47 ₩1,967

51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.29 ₩4,394

200.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.48 ₩24.7K

-18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.29 ₩3,054

27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

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

$3.64 ₩4,853

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.61 ₩820

172.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.35 ₩1,796

-29.63%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.2K ₩38.9M

23.53%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.7K ₩47.6M

-24.11%

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

$229 $229

$210 ₩279.6K

9.28%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$43.59 ₩58.2K

36.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$20.61 ₩27.5K

239.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.32 ₩15.1K

26.15%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$380 ₩507.1K

296.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$17.9K ₩23.9M

20.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$64.3 ₩85.8K

-17.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$64.7 ₩86.3K

-32.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$75.5 ₩100.8K

12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$99.0 ₩132.0K

4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$453 ₩604.7K

181.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,914 ₩2.6M

91.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,064 ₩1.4M

138.65%

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

$3,372 ₩4.5M

51.85%

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 Songdo-dong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Songdo-dong

$453 31.4% 64.4% $821

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Songdo-dong

$408 * 28.3% 0.9% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Songdo-dong

$274 19% 23.6% $85

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Songdo-dong

$143 9.9% 59.6% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Songdo-dong

$137 9.5% 6.7% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Songdo-dong

$23 * 1.6% 73.6% $63

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Songdo-dong

$6.7 * 0.5% 88.6% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 52% 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 $35.00 in Songdo-dong. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $408, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Songdo-dong

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

06:56 6:56 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

KRW to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Songdo-dong 11,190 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Songdo-dong

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 Songdo-dong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Songdo-dong 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 Songdo-dong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% 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 $380 in Songdo-dong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Songdo-dong – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,444 in Songdo-dong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Songdo-dong but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Songdo-dong 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 Songdo-dong 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 Songdo-dong 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.