Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irving, TX and Gwangju

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.

116

Cost of Living Index in Irving, TX
Learn more

Irving, TX Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
Learn more

Gwangju Living Index

Jump to prices

Irving, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,405

/mo nomad

Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,341

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Irving, TX is roughly 79% more expensive than in Gwangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 $15.07

$6.02 ₩8,024

150.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$34.32 ₩45.8K

118.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 $10.93

$5.82 ₩7,763

87.80%

Cappuccino

$4.73 $4.73

$3.17 ₩4,229

49.21%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$1.59 ₩2,126

64.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.63 ₩842

152.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.38 ₩3,175

156.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.59 ₩6,128

32.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.72 ₩2,296

-52.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.49 ₩3,325

11.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.29 ₩3,054

26.64%

Eggs

$2.78 $2.78

$2.64 ₩3,516

5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 $10.01

$8.80 ₩11.7K

13.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$7.82 ₩10.4K

29.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 $16.59

$11.15 ₩14.9K

48.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$5.16 ₩6,886

-16.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.02 ₩4,022

-50.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.72 ₩4,965

-11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.09 ₩4,115

-11.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.60 ₩4,802

-46.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.89 ₩2,524

-12.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.11 ₩2,819

-26.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.28 ₩1,713

53.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 $9.99

$3.36 ₩4,484

197.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 $10.54

$11.19 ₩14.9K

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.51 ₩2,017

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.31 ₩3,079

68.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.01 ₩1,342

189.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$126 $126

$68.8 ₩91.8K

83.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.06 ₩4,074

5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.64 ₩848

143.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 $29.99

$7.84 ₩10.5K

282.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.20 ₩1,605

-26.67%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$28.1K ₩37.4M

-3.32%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$35.2K ₩47.0M

-29.47%

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

$225 $225

$212 ₩282.5K

6.41%

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

$49.10 $49.10

$44.13 ₩58.9K

11.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$20.64 ₩27.5K

225.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.39 $24.39

$55.4 ₩73.8K

-55.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.36 ₩19.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 $6.79

$11.20 ₩14.9K

-39.37%

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

$1,816 $1,816

$299 ₩398.4K

507.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$17.5K ₩23.3M

17.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.86 $22.86

$32.50 ₩43.3K

-29.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.97 $24.97

$26.36 ₩35.1K

-5.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 $65.4

$63.9 ₩85.2K

2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 $95.9

$89.9 ₩119.9K

6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$508 ₩677.9K

196.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 $1,190

$370 ₩493.0K

221.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 $2,811

$1,163 ₩1.6M

141.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 $1,954

$744 ₩991.7K

162.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,744 $3,744

$7,980 ₩10.6M

-53.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,410 $2,410

$6,343 ₩8.5M

-62.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,133 $4,133

$2,834 ₩3.8M

45.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

3.6

83.89%

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

Last update for Irving, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gwangju: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Irving, TX

$1.2K 49.5%

Gwangju

$370 27.6% 68.9% $820

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irving, TX

$342 14.2%

Gwangju

$277 20.6% 19.1% $65

Groceries & Markets

Irving, TX

$323 13.4%

Gwangju

$308 23% 4.5% $15

Eating Out

Irving, TX

$270 11.2%

Gwangju

$134 10% 50.4% $136

Getting Around

Irving, TX

$149 6.2%

Gwangju

$79 5.9% 46.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Irving, TX

$94 3.9%

Gwangju

$96 7.1% 1.7% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Irving, TX

$38 1.6%

Gwangju

$78 5.8% 105% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,509 in Irving, TX and $508 in Gwangju. 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: $75 in Irving, TX vs $34 in Gwangju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $308 per month, with Gwangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Irving, TX

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

15 h ahead of Irving, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

256,684

1,467,996

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,489 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR).

KRW to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Irving, TX
Gwangju

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

Irving, TX vs Gwangju: 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.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Irving, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,509 in Irving, TX versus $508 in Gwangju. 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 $2,405 per month in Irving, TX versus $1,341 in Gwangju – 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.