Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Daegu: $1,569 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
130

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

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Daegu 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 Daegu and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,569 in Daegu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Daegu $1,569
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Daegu versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Daegu $2,402
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,235 in Daegu versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Daegu $3,235
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Daegu costs roughly 41% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Daegu 16% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$20.77 $20.77

-55.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$84.6 $84.6

-56.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$12.32 $12.32

-53.98%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$5.63 $5.63

-29.48%

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

$1.56 ₩2,075

$3.72 $3.72

-58.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$2.50 $2.50

-64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$8.05 $8.05

-52.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$9.01 $9.01

-39.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$1.12 $1.12

112.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$3.75 $3.75

19.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$3.26 $3.26

-18.40%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$4.17 $4.17

-34.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$12.90 $12.90

-20.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

$14.16 $14.16

-47.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

$16.22 $16.22

27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

$4.33 $4.33

52.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$1.46 $1.46

84.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

$4.51 $4.51

26.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

$4.34 $4.34

37.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$2.58 $2.58

2.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$2.35 $2.35

-12.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$1.78 $1.78

144.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$2.22 $2.22

-38.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

$9.88 $9.88

-70.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$15.08 $15.08

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$2.92 $2.92

-26.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$3.46 $3.46

-28.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$1.49 $1.49

-25.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

$41.72 $41.72

83.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

$2.73 $2.73

15.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

$1.66 $1.66

-63.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$35.30 $35.30

-77.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$0.95 $0.95

40.00%

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

$36.0K $36.0K

-20.92%

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

$41.5K ₩55.1M

$27.1K $27.1K

53.12%

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

$280 ₩371.6K

$229 $229

22.06%

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

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$59.4 $59.4

-15.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$69.9 $69.9

-32.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

$57.2 $57.2

-10.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$16.33 $16.33

-27.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$14.28 $14.28

-21.15%

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

$531 ₩706.4K

$1,506 $1,506

-64.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$21.5K $21.5K

29.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$52.8 $52.8

6.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$43.82 $43.82

14.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$84.8 $84.8

13.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$103 $103

59.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$1,907 $1,907

-78.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$1,274 $1,274

-78.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$3,664 $3,664

-71.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$2,538 $2,538

-76.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$7,614 $7,614

-6.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$3,157 $3,157

76.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$5,121 $5,121

-51.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

6.79

-25.33%

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

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daegu

$414 26.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 2.2% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 5% $19

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 366% $1K

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 97.9% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 22.5% $37

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 32.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 16.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Daegu and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 107% 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: $37.00 in Daegu vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $414 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

15:43 3:43 PM

14 h behind Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

974,447

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

Daegu
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

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

Daegu wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Daegu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 107% 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: $408 in Daegu versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,569 per month in Daegu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Daegu runs roughly 83% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,569 in Daegu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Daegu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Daegu 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, Daegu 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 Daegu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.