Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Irving, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Gwangju: $1,341 a month against $2,405 in Irving, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Irving, TX
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Irving, TX Living Index

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Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,341

/mo nomad

Irving, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,405

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gwangju and in Irving, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Gwangju versus $2,405 in Irving, TX.

Gwangju $1,341
Irving, TX $2,405

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,048 in Gwangju versus $3,496 in Irving, TX.

Gwangju $2,048
Irving, TX $3,496

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,756 in Gwangju versus $4,588 in Irving, TX.

Gwangju $2,756
Irving, TX $4,588

Living in Gwangju costs roughly 44% less than in Irving, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gwangju is 2% below, Irving, TX is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.02 ₩8,077

$15.07 $15.07

-60.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.32 ₩46.1K

$75.1 $75.1

-54.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₩7,813

$10.93 $10.93

-46.75%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ₩4,257

$4.73 $4.73

-32.98%

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

$1.59 ₩2,140

$2.61 $2.61

-39.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩848

$1.59 $1.59

-60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₩3,196

$6.10 $6.10

-60.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 ₩6,167

$6.09 $6.09

-24.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ₩2,311

$0.82 $0.82

109.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 ₩3,347

$2.78 $2.78

-10.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,074

$2.90 $2.90

-21.03%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,539

$2.78 $2.78

-5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$10.01 $10.01

-12.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 ₩10.5K

$10.13 $10.13

-22.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ₩15.0K

$16.59 $16.59

-32.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₩6,931

$4.31 $4.31

19.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,048

$1.48 $1.48

104.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 ₩4,998

$3.28 $3.28

13.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,142

$2.73 $2.73

13.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,833

$1.94 $1.94

85.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,540

$1.65 $1.65

14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 ₩2,837

$1.56 $1.56

35.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,724

$1.96 $1.96

-34.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₩4,513

$9.99 $9.99

-66.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 ₩15.0K

$10.54 $10.54

6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₩2,030

$1.70 $1.70

-11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₩3,099

$3.90 $3.90

-40.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₩1,350

$2.92 $2.92

-65.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 ₩92.4K

$126 $126

-45.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ₩4,100

$3.24 $3.24

-5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩854

$1.56 $1.56

-58.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ₩10.5K

$29.99 $29.99

-73.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,616

$0.88 $0.88

36.36%

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

$28.1K ₩37.7M

$27.1K $27.1K

3.43%

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

$35.2K ₩47.3M

$24.8K $24.8K

41.79%

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

$212 ₩284.3K

$225 $225

-6.02%

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

$44.13 ₩59.2K

$49.10 $49.10

-10.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 ₩27.7K

$67.3 $67.3

-69.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ₩74.3K

$24.39 $24.39

126.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.36 ₩19.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 ₩15.0K

$6.79 $6.79

64.95%

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

$299 ₩401.0K

$1,816 $1,816

-83.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₩23.5M

$20.5K $20.5K

-14.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.50 ₩43.6K

$22.86 $22.86

42.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.36 ₩35.4K

$24.97 $24.97

5.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 ₩85.8K

$65.4 $65.4

-2.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ₩120.7K

$95.9 $95.9

-6.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 ₩682.3K

$1,509 $1,509

-66.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ₩496.2K

$1,190 $1,190

-68.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 ₩1.6M

$2,811 $2,811

-58.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₩998.1K

$1,954 $1,954

-61.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,980 ₩10.7M

$3,744 $3,744

113.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,343 ₩8.5M

$2,410 $2,410

163.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,834 ₩3.8M

$4,133 $4,133

-31.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

6.62

-45.62%

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

Last update for Gwangju: October 24, 2026

Last update for Irving, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gwangju

$370 27.6%

Irving, TX

$1.2K 49.5% 222% $820

Groceries & Markets

Gwangju

$308 23%

Irving, TX

$323 13.4% 4.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gwangju

$277 20.6%

Irving, TX

$342 14.2% 23.6% $65

Eating Out

Gwangju

$134 10%

Irving, TX

$270 11.2% 102% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Gwangju

$96 7.1%

Irving, TX

$94 3.9% 1.7% $1.6

Getting Around

Gwangju

$79 5.9%

Irving, TX

$149 6.2% 88.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Gwangju

$78 5.8%

Irving, TX

$38 1.6% 51.2% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Gwangju and $1,509 in Irving, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irving, TX pays 46% 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: $34 in Gwangju vs $75 in Irving, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $323 per month, with Gwangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🇺🇸 Irving, TX

🕒 Local time

00:11 12:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

15 h behind Gwangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,467,996

256,684

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.68 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,342 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,498 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.68 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Gwangju Irving, TX 11,180 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Gwangju
Irving, 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

Gwangju vs Irving, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Gwangju. 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: $508 in Gwangju versus $1,509 in Irving, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $34 versus $75 in Irving, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,341 per month in Gwangju versus $2,405 in Irving, TX – Gwangju is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,341 in Gwangju versus $2,405 in Irving, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Irving, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gwangju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Irving, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Gwangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Irving, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.