Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daejeon and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Daejeon: $1,344 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
Learn more

Daejeon Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,344 in Daejeon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Daejeon $1,344
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,104 in Daejeon versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Daejeon $2,104
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,865 in Daejeon versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Daejeon $2,865
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Daejeon costs roughly 50% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Daejeon 0% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 ₩9,678

$20.77 $20.77

-64.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 ₩48.9K

$84.6 $84.6

-56.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ₩7,412

$12.32 $12.32

-54.79%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₩4,784

$5.63 $5.63

-36.06%

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

$1.22 ₩1,622

$3.72 $3.72

-67.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₩859

$2.50 $2.50

-74.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,659

$8.05 $8.05

-56.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₩4,917

$9.01 $9.01

-58.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,900

$1.12 $1.12

94.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 ₩3,542

$3.75 $3.75

-29.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,514

$3.26 $3.26

-19.02%

Eggs

$2.55 ₩3,385

$4.17 $4.17

-38.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 ₩14.5K

$12.90 $12.90

-15.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$14.16 $14.16

-41.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.43 ₩27.2K

$16.22 $16.22

25.96%

Apples (1kg)

$11.12 ₩14.8K

$4.33 $4.33

156.81%

Banana (1kg)

$5.49 ₩7,300

$1.46 $1.46

276.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,732

$4.51 $4.51

28.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ₩8,072

$4.34 $4.34

39.86%

Potato (1kg)

$5.34 ₩7,102

$2.58 $2.58

106.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 ₩3,744

$2.35 $2.35

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₩2,273

$1.78 $1.78

-3.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,510

$2.22 $2.22

-48.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,426

$9.88 $9.88

-66.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 ₩25.1K

$15.08 $15.08

25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₩3,393

$2.92 $2.92

-12.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₩4,712

$3.46 $3.46

2.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$1.49 $1.49

-26.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$41.72 $41.72

-73.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₩4,398

$2.73 $2.73

21.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩950

$1.66 $1.66

-57.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩22.4K

$35.30 $35.30

-52.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,638

$0.95 $0.95

29.47%

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

$28.5K ₩37.8M

$36.0K $36.0K

-21.07%

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

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$27.1K $27.1K

-12.32%

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

$172 ₩228.4K

$229 $229

-24.97%

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

$42.96 ₩57.1K

$59.4 $59.4

-27.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 ₩29.5K

$69.9 $69.9

-68.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 ₩44.0K

$57.2 $57.2

-42.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$14.28 $14.28

-20.80%

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

$304 ₩403.8K

$1,506 $1,506

-79.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$21.5K $21.5K

2.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 ₩85.8K

$52.8 $52.8

22.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 ₩55.7K

$43.82 $43.82

-4.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ₩122.8K

$84.8 $84.8

8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₩142.0K

$103 $103

3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩490.2K

$1,907 $1,907

-80.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₩391.3K

$1,274 $1,274

-76.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ₩1.4M

$3,664 $3,664

-71.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₩788.5K

$2,538 $2,538

-76.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,547 ₩7.4M

$7,614 $7,614

-27.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,546 ₩6.0M

$3,157 $3,157

43.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,336 ₩3.1M

$5,121 $5,121

-54.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

6.79

-46.24%

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

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daejeon

$446 33.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 9.4% $42

Accommodation & Living

Daejeon

$294 21.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 333% $980

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daejeon

$237 17.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 51.2% $121

Eating Out

Daejeon

$151 11.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 135% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Daejeon

$138 10.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 7% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Daejeon

$56 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 54% $30

Getting Around

Daejeon

$22 1.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 163% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $369 in Daejeon and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 119% 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 Daejeon vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $446 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

13:30 1:30 PM

14 h behind Daejeon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,324

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Daejeon
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

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

Daejeon wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Daejeon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 119% 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: $369 in Daejeon 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 $1,344 per month in Daejeon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Daejeon runs roughly 276% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,344 in Daejeon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Daejeon but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Daejeon 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, Daejeon 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 Daejeon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.