Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,111 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
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Jeju Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,111

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,111 in Jeju versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Jeju $1,111
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,874 in Jeju versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Jeju $1,874
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,637 in Jeju versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Jeju $2,637
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Jeju costs roughly 59% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jeju is 17% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.26 ₩9,726

$20.22 $20.22

-64.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 ₩69.7K

$85.0 $85.0

-38.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 ₩7,291

$12.35 $12.35

-55.95%

Cappuccino

$6.03 ₩8,080

$5.47 $5.47

10.24%

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

$2.22 ₩2,981

$3.82 $3.82

-41.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₩2,595

$2.50 $2.50

-22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₩4,796

$8.06 $8.06

-55.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,898

$8.99 $8.99

-67.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩2,980

$1.13 $1.13

96.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 ₩2,961

$3.78 $3.78

-41.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,072

$3.25 $3.25

-29.54%

Eggs

$2.70 ₩3,613

$4.14 $4.14

-34.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₩2,859

$1.45 $1.45

46.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 ₩3,925

$2.63 $2.63

11.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₩2,506

$2.36 $2.36

-20.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₩2,925

$1.76 $1.76

23.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₩577

$2.16 $2.16

-80.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 ₩15.3K

$14.72 $14.72

-22.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₩2,588

$2.78 $2.78

-30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₩2,300

$3.48 $3.48

-50.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₩1,272

$1.49 $1.49

-36.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₩1,857

$0.99 $0.99

40.40%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$210 ₩281.8K

$219 $219

-4.08%

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

$54.7 ₩73.3K

$58.0 $58.0

-5.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.28 ₩25.8K

$68.4 $68.4

-71.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K ₩32.9M

$21.5K $21.5K

14.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 ₩70.0K

$51.7 $51.7

1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.57 ₩39.6K

$44.05 $44.05

-32.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 ₩88.1K

$85.1 $85.1

-22.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ₩120.5K

$105 $105

-14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₩616.5K

$1,932 $1,932

-76.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 ₩511.3K

$1,272 $1,272

-70.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 ₩1.8M

$3,670 $3,670

-64.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 ₩1.5M

$2,525 $2,525

-54.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K ₩13.9M

$7,617 $7,617

36.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,745 ₩9.0M

$3,199 $3,199

110.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,840 ₩2.5M

$5,105 $5,105

-63.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Jeju: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jeju

$382 34.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 234% $891

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

$284 25.8%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 21.6% $61

Eating Out

Jeju

$187 17%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 86% $161

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

$139 * 12.6%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 189% $263

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

$107 9.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 20.5% $22

Getting Around

Jeju

$3.8 * 0.3%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 1400% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

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 $460 in Jeju and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 177% 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: $52.0 in Jeju vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $139 vs $403 per month, with Jeju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:13 9:13 PM

07:13 7:13 AM

14 h behind Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

974,447

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jeju Austin, TX 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Jeju
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

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

Jeju wins on cost – living expenses run 143% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jeju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 177% 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: $460 in Jeju versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,111 per month in Jeju versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 189% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,111 in Jeju versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeju but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jeju 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, Jeju 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 Jeju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.