Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Busan: $1,627 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
129

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

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,627

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Busan and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,627 in Busan versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Busan $1,627
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Busan versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Busan $2,557
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,486 in Busan versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Busan $3,486
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Busan costs roughly 40% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 21% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.25 ₩9,741

$20.22 $20.22

-64.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.28 ₩64.8K

$85.0 $85.0

-43.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 ₩8,684

$12.35 $12.35

-47.61%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₩4,899

$5.47 $5.47

-33.27%

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

$1.77 ₩2,378

$3.82 $3.82

-53.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,870

$2.50 $2.50

-44.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 ₩5,149

$8.06 $8.06

-52.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,870

$8.99 $8.99

-51.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,114

$1.13 $1.13

105.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 ₩4,383

$3.78 $3.78

-13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,177

$3.25 $3.25

-4.31%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,514

$4.14 $4.14

-36.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 ₩15.0K

$13.08 $13.08

-14.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₩13.9K

$14.31 $14.31

-27.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.03 ₩33.6K

$15.96 $15.96

56.83%

Apples (1kg)

$11.02 ₩14.8K

$4.38 $4.38

151.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,749

$1.45 $1.45

144.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.6K

$4.54 $4.54

73.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ₩7,863

$4.19 $4.19

39.62%

Potato (1kg)

$5.88 ₩7,901

$2.63 $2.63

123.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,556

$2.36 $2.36

43.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₩3,665

$1.76 $1.76

55.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,775

$2.16 $2.16

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,469

$9.81 $9.81

-66.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.44 ₩24.8K

$14.72 $14.72

25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,191

$2.78 $2.78

-14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₩4,668

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,592

$1.49 $1.49

-20.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 ₩79.4K

$40.51 $40.51

45.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,839

$2.67 $2.67

34.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ₩964

$1.58 $1.58

-54.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.66 ₩22.4K

$35.29 $35.29

-52.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,830

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

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

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$35.8K $35.8K

-16.66%

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

$33.8K ₩45.4M

$27.2K $27.2K

24.27%

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

$196 ₩263.8K

$219 $219

-10.42%

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

$36.52 ₩49.1K

$58.0 $58.0

-37.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 ₩36.9K

$68.4 $68.4

-59.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 ₩83.9K

$57.9 $57.9

7.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 ₩12.9K

$14.82 $14.82

-35.09%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 ₩16.2K

$14.13 $14.13

-14.79%

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

$637 ₩855.9K

$1,509 $1,509

-57.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K ₩29.0M

$21.5K $21.5K

0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩142.6K

$51.7 $51.7

105.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.6 ₩88.0K

$44.05 $44.05

48.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 ₩126.9K

$85.1 $85.1

11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₩172.1K

$105 $105

21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₩985.6K

$1,932 $1,932

-62.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ₩489.9K

$1,272 $1,272

-71.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 ₩1.8M

$3,670 $3,670

-63.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 ₩941.6K

$2,525 $2,525

-72.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K ₩13.4M

$7,617 $7,617

31.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,421 ₩8.6M

$3,199 $3,199

100.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,841 ₩3.8M

$5,105 $5,105

-44.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

6.79

-37.85%

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

Last update for Busan: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$483 30.1%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 16.6% $80

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$365 22.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 249% $908

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$260 16.2%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 32.7% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 11.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 27.5% $49

Eating Out

Busan

$162 10.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 115% $186

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$87 5.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 0.4% $0.4

Getting Around

Busan

$71 4.4%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 19.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $734 in Busan and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 80% 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: $48.00 in Busan vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $403, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

22:20 10:20 PM

14 h behind Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

974,447

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Busan Austin, TX 11,240 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Busan
Austin, TX

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

Busan vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $734 in Busan versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,627 per month in Busan versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 46% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,627 in Busan versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Busan 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, Busan and Austin, TX 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 Busan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.