Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gongju and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongju: $1,539 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Gongju
Learn more

Gongju Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Gongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,539

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,539 in Gongju versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Gongju $1,539
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,437 in Gongju versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Gongju $2,437
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,335 in Gongju versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Gongju $3,335
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Gongju costs roughly 42% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gongju 14% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 ₩9,697

$20.77 $20.77

-64.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.03 ₩63.9K

$84.6 $84.6

-43.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 ₩8,700

$12.32 $12.32

-46.92%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ₩5,015

$5.63 $5.63

-33.04%

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

$1.85 ₩2,461

$3.72 $3.72

-50.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,918

$2.50 $2.50

-42.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,104

$8.05 $8.05

-52.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 ₩5,721

$9.01 $9.01

-52.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,004

$1.12 $1.12

101.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₩4,246

$3.75 $3.75

-14.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,197

$3.26 $3.26

-3.07%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,641

$4.17 $4.17

-34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 ₩14.5K

$12.90 $12.90

-15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.47 ₩13.9K

$14.16 $14.16

-26.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.73 ₩32.9K

$16.22 $16.22

52.47%

Apples (1kg)

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$4.33 $4.33

161.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,803

$1.46 $1.46

147.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.27 ₩11.0K

$4.51 $4.51

83.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩7,908

$4.34 $4.34

37.10%

Potato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,120

$2.58 $2.58

136.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,283

$2.35 $2.35

37.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 ₩3,766

$1.78 $1.78

58.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,704

$2.22 $2.22

-42.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ₩4,357

$9.88 $9.88

-66.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.67 ₩24.8K

$15.08 $15.08

23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,166

$2.92 $2.92

-18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₩4,700

$3.46 $3.46

2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,513

$1.49 $1.49

-23.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 ₩4,884

$2.73 $2.73

34.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩967

$1.66 $1.66

-56.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 ₩22.7K

$35.30 $35.30

-51.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,819

$0.95 $0.95

44.21%

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

$29.5K ₩39.3M

$36.0K $36.0K

-18.08%

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

$33.3K ₩44.3M

$27.1K $27.1K

23.09%

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

$197 ₩262.1K

$229 $229

-13.92%

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

$36.42 ₩48.4K

$59.4 $59.4

-38.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.72 ₩35.5K

$69.9 $69.9

-61.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 ₩69.0K

$57.2 $57.2

-9.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.00 ₩16.0K

$16.33 $16.33

-26.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 ₩15.7K

$14.28 $14.28

-17.37%

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

$624 ₩830.3K

$1,506 $1,506

-58.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K ₩28.7M

$21.5K $21.5K

0.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩137.8K

$52.8 $52.8

96.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 ₩88.3K

$43.82 $43.82

51.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 ₩125.9K

$84.8 $84.8

11.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩168.5K

$103 $103

23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₩650.1K

$1,907 $1,907

-74.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₩484.6K

$1,274 $1,274

-71.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 ₩1.5M

$3,664 $3,664

-68.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 ₩1.0M

$2,538 $2,538

-70.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,239 ₩9.6M

$7,614 $7,614

-4.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,410 ₩7.2M

$3,157 $3,157

71.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,309 ₩1.7M

$5,121 $5,121

-74.44%

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 Gongju: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gongju

$486 31.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 16.8% $82

Accommodation & Living

Gongju

$364 23.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 250% $910

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gongju

$260 16.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 37.7% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Gongju

$176 11.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 27.3% $48

Eating Out

Gongju

$164 10.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 116% $190

Sport & Entertainment

Gongju

$75 4.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 13.6% $10

Getting Around

Gongju

$12 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 395% $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 $489 in Gongju and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 291% 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 Gongju vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $486 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gongju

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

18:43 6:43 PM

14 h behind Gongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,428

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 = 0.89 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 = 0.89 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Gongju
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

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

Gongju wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 291% 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: $489 in Gongju versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Gongju versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gongju – 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 $1,539 in Gongju versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gongju but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gongju 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, Gongju 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 Gongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.