Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Wonju

For one person, living is cheaper in Wonju: $1,526 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Wonju
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Wonju Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Wonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,526 in Wonju.

Austin, TX $2,663
Wonju $1,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,418 in Wonju.

Austin, TX $4,133
Wonju $2,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,309 in Wonju.

Austin, TX $5,603
Wonju $3,309

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 74% more expensive than in Wonju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Wonju 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.45 ₩9,900

178.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$48.19 ₩64.1K

75.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.69 ₩8,892

84.16%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.65 ₩4,859

54.25%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.79 ₩2,381

107.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.45 ₩1,923

72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.70 ₩4,926

117.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.32 ₩5,740

108.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.25 ₩2,998

-50.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.20 ₩4,252

17.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.08 ₩4,095

5.84%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.69 ₩3,579

55.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.93 ₩14.5K

18.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.41 ₩13.8K

36.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$24.90 ₩33.1K

-34.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$11.04 ₩14.7K

-60.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.54 ₩4,712

-58.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$7.98 ₩10.6K

-43.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.04 ₩8,034

-28.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.80 ₩7,718

-55.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.40 ₩4,527

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.86 ₩3,807

-37.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.29 ₩1,711

72.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.42 ₩4,550

188.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.38 ₩24.4K

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.35 ₩3,131

24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.39 ₩4,513

2.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.10 ₩1,467

35.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.63 ₩4,825

-24.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.71 ₩950

133.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$16.85 ₩22.4K

109.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.25 ₩1,656

-24.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

22.53%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.6K ₩44.7M

-19.49%

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

$229 $229

$196 ₩260.7K

16.79%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$35.94 ₩47.8K

65.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$26.92 ₩35.8K

159.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$52.6 ₩69.9K

8.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.15 ₩16.2K

34.40%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.79 ₩15.7K

21.12%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$491 ₩652.3K

206.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$21.9K ₩29.1M

-1.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$104 ₩138.1K

-49.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$64.1 ₩85.2K

-31.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$92.1 ₩122.5K

-7.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$129 ₩171.3K

-20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$494 ₩657.0K

285.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$359 ₩477.3K

254.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,181 ₩1.6M

210.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$744 ₩988.6K

241.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$7,157 ₩9.5M

6.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,494 ₩7.3M

-42.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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 Wonju: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Wonju

$359 23.5% 71.8% $915

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Wonju

$482 31.6% 19.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Wonju

$259 17% 27.7% $99

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Wonju

$164 10.7% 53.8% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Wonju

$175 11.5% 36.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Wonju

$76 5% 11.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Wonju

$12 * 0.8% 80.2% $47

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $494 in Wonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $48.00 in Wonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $482, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇷 Wonju

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

11:26 11:26 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

340,196

💱 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 Wonju 11,120 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Wonju

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 Wonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wonju wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wonju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,290 in Wonju to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $494 in Wonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $491 in Wonju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wonju – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,526 in Wonju versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wonju but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Wonju 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 Wonju 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 Wonju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.