Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sangju and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Sangju: $1,418 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sangju
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,418
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,418 in Sangju versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Sangju $1,418
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,194 in Sangju versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Sangju $2,194
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,970 in Sangju versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Sangju $2,970
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Sangju costs roughly 47% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sangju 5% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sangju
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.08 ₩8,114
$20.77 $20.77
-70.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.36 ₩45.8K
$84.6 $84.6
-59.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.65 ₩8,876
$12.32 $12.32
-46.02%
Cappuccino
$3.71 ₩4,956
$5.63 $5.63
-34.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 ₩2,063
$3.72 $3.72
-58.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₩778
$2.50 $2.50
-76.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.54 ₩4,725
$8.05 $8.05
-56.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 ₩5,838
$9.01 $9.01
-51.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sangju
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 ₩3,016
$1.12 $1.12
101.79%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₩4,034
$3.75 $3.75
-19.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.30 ₩3,069
$3.26 $3.26
-29.45%
Eggs
$3.31 ₩4,414
$4.17 $4.17
-20.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.56 ₩20.8K
$12.90 $12.90
20.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.62 ₩10.2K
$14.16 $14.16
-46.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.32 ₩15.1K
$16.22 $16.22
-30.21%
Apples (1kg)
$7.57 ₩10.1K
$4.33 $4.33
74.83%
Banana (1kg)
$3.26 ₩4,350
$1.46 $1.46
123.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.57 ₩10.1K
$4.51 $4.51
67.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.12 ₩9,495
$4.34 $4.34
64.06%
Potato (1kg)
$3.54 ₩4,718
$2.58 $2.58
37.21%
Onion (1kg)
$2.37 ₩3,165
$2.35 $2.35
0.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.00 ₩2,666
$1.78 $1.78
12.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 ₩1,775
$2.22 $2.22
-40.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.29 ₩4,394
$9.88 $9.88
-66.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.50 ₩24.7K
$15.08 $15.08
22.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 ₩2,931
$2.92 $2.92
-24.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 ₩4,625
$3.46 $3.46
0.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Sangju
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.15 ₩1,529
$1.49 $1.49
-22.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$41.72 $41.72
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.74 ₩4,994
$2.73 $2.73
37.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.61 ₩820
$1.66 $1.66
-63.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.83 ₩17.1K
$35.30 $35.30
-63.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 ₩1,861
$0.95 $0.95
46.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K ₩38.6M
$36.0K $36.0K
-19.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K ₩47.4M
$27.1K $27.1K
31.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sangju
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$208 ₩277.0K
$229 $229
-9.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$43.09 ₩57.5K
$59.4 $59.4
-27.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.94 ₩27.9K
$69.9 $69.9
-70.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sangju
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 ₩68.7K
$57.2 $57.2
-10.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.08 ₩16.1K
$16.33 $16.33
-26.03%
Cinema Ticket
$11.00 ₩14.7K
$14.28 $14.28
-22.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sangju
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$297 ₩395.7K
$1,506 $1,506
-80.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K ₩23.8M
$21.5K $21.5K
-16.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sangju
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.8 ₩86.4K
$52.8 $52.8
22.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.2 ₩84.3K
$43.82 $43.82
44.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.4 ₩100.6K
$84.8 $84.8
-11.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 ₩133.5K
$103 $103
-2.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sangju
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$492 ₩655.8K
$1,907 $1,907
-74.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$365 ₩487.5K
$1,274 $1,274
-71.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,160 ₩1.5M
$3,664 $3,664
-68.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$757 ₩1.0M
$2,538 $2,538
-70.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,193 ₩9.6M
$7,614 $7,614
-5.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,380 ₩7.2M
$3,157 $3,157
70.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sangju
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,433 ₩1.9M
$5,121 $5,121
-72.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.1
6.79
-39.62%

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

Last update for Sangju: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sangju
$412
Austin, TX
$405 1.7% $6.9
Accommodation & Living
Sangju
$365
Austin, TX
$1.3K 249% $909
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sangju
$272
Austin, TX
$358 31.9% $87
Eating Out
Sangju
$148
Austin, TX
$354 139% $206
Clothing & Footwear
Sangju
$137
Austin, TX
$128 6.3% $8.5
Sport & Entertainment
Sangju
$74
Austin, TX
$86 16.7% $12
Getting Around
Sangju
$11 *
Austin, TX
$59 415% $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 $492 in Sangju and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 257% 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: $34.00 in Sangju vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $412 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Sangju
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
03:19 3:19 AM
13:19 1:19 PM
14 h behind Sangju
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
100,947
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sangju Austin, TX 11,190 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sangju
  • 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
Sangju vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sangju or Austin, TX?
Sangju wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sangju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Sangju or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 257% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Sangju compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $492 in Sangju versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Sangju and in Austin, TX?
Childcare runs $297 in Sangju versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Sangju and in Austin, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Sangju – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Sangju or in Austin, TX?
At $1,418 in Sangju versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sangju but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sangju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Sangju or Austin, TX?
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.
How safe is Sangju compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Sangju 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Sangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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