Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeongju and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,228 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
Learn more

Gyeongju Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,228

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Gyeongju versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Gyeongju $1,228
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,988 in Gyeongju versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Gyeongju $1,988
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,748 in Gyeongju versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Gyeongju $2,748
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Gyeongju costs roughly 54% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gyeongju is 9% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 ₩10.1K

$20.77 $20.77

-63.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.01 ₩63.8K

$84.6 $84.6

-43.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,653

$12.32 $12.32

-47.16%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₩4,012

$5.63 $5.63

-46.36%

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

$1.10 ₩1,457

$3.72 $3.72

-70.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₩469

$2.50 $2.50

-86.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ₩3,442

$8.05 $8.05

-67.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₩5,764

$9.01 $9.01

-51.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₩3,073

$1.12 $1.12

106.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 ₩3,280

$3.75 $3.75

-34.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$3.26 $3.26

-3.99%

Eggs

$2.60 ₩3,451

$4.17 $4.17

-37.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.7K

$12.90 $12.90

-14.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 ₩13.7K

$14.16 $14.16

-27.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$16.22 $16.22

14.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 ₩5,985

$4.33 $4.33

3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 ₩3,411

$1.46 $1.46

76.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 ₩5,075

$4.51 $4.51

-15.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 ₩4,879

$4.34 $4.34

-15.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 ₩3,398

$2.58 $2.58

-0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 ₩2,897

$2.35 $2.35

-7.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 ₩2,917

$1.78 $1.78

23.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,766

$2.22 $2.22

-40.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,571

$9.88 $9.88

-65.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 ₩19.6K

$15.08 $15.08

-2.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,515

$2.92 $2.92

-60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,949

$3.46 $3.46

-35.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,409

$1.49 $1.49

-28.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ₩3,895

$2.73 $2.73

7.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₩1,046

$1.66 $1.66

-52.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.57 ₩22.0K

$35.30 $35.30

-53.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₩1,354

$0.95 $0.95

7.37%

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

$29.6K ₩39.3M

$36.0K $36.0K

-18.01%

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

$34.0K ₩45.2M

$27.1K $27.1K

25.66%

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

$80.6 ₩107.1K

$229 $229

-64.82%

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

$36.83 ₩49.0K

$59.4 $59.4

-37.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.20 ₩36.2K

$69.9 $69.9

-61.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ₩69.3K

$57.2 $57.2

-8.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.96 ₩15.9K

$16.33 $16.33

-26.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 ₩14.7K

$14.28 $14.28

-22.69%

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

$639 ₩849.8K

$1,506 $1,506

-57.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K ₩29.5M

$21.5K $21.5K

3.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 ₩60.3K

$52.8 $52.8

-14.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 ₩29.8K

$43.82 $43.82

-48.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 ₩121.9K

$84.8 $84.8

8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₩170.8K

$103 $103

24.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ₩635.9K

$1,907 $1,907

-74.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₩486.7K

$1,274 $1,274

-71.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 ₩1.5M

$3,664 $3,664

-68.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₩972.7K

$2,538 $2,538

-71.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,249 ₩9.6M

$7,614 $7,614

-4.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,416 ₩7.2M

$3,157 $3,157

71.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,841 ₩2.4M

$5,121 $5,121

-64.06%

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 Gyeongju: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gyeongju

$366 29.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 248% $908

Groceries & Markets

Gyeongju

$359 29.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 12.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeongju

$145 11.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 148% $214

Eating Out

Gyeongju

$144 11.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 146% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeongju

$130 10.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 1.2% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeongju

$74 6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 15.6% $12

Getting Around

Gyeongju

$11 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 429% $48

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 $478 in Gyeongju and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 178% 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 Gyeongju vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $405 per month, with Gyeongju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

18:43 6:43 PM

14 h behind Gyeongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,156

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

Gyeongju Austin, TX 11,180 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Gyeongju
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

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

Gyeongju wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gyeongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 178% 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: $478 in Gyeongju versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $639 in Gyeongju 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 Gyeongju – 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 $1,228 in Gyeongju versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gyeongju but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gyeongju 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, Gyeongju 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 Gyeongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.