Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Seongnam: $1,405 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Seongnam
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Seongnam Living Index
130

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

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Seongnam

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,405

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,405 in Seongnam versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Seongnam $1,405
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,330 in Seongnam versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Seongnam $2,330
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,255 in Seongnam versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Seongnam $3,255
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Seongnam 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: Seongnam 4% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.61 ₩8,787

$20.77 $20.77

-68.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.26 ₩53.5K

$84.6 $84.6

-52.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₩8,870

$12.32 $12.32

-45.86%

Cappuccino

$4.16 ₩5,528

$5.63 $5.63

-26.11%

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

$1.59 ₩2,120

$3.72 $3.72

-57.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₩1,093

$2.50 $2.50

-67.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 ₩4,727

$8.05 $8.05

-55.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,065

$9.01 $9.01

-57.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,005

$1.12 $1.12

101.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,098

$3.75 $3.75

-17.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,779

$3.26 $3.26

10.12%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,804

$4.17 $4.17

-13.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 ₩12.3K

$12.90 $12.90

-28.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 ₩10.3K

$14.16 $14.16

-45.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.02 ₩27.9K

$16.22 $16.22

29.59%

Apples (1kg)

$7.75 ₩10.3K

$4.33 $4.33

78.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 ₩4,552

$1.46 $1.46

134.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,808

$4.51 $4.51

30.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 ₩9,288

$4.34 $4.34

61.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,793

$2.58 $2.58

39.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₩3,354

$2.35 $2.35

7.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 ₩3,725

$1.78 $1.78

57.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,766

$2.22 $2.22

-40.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ₩4,584

$9.88 $9.88

-65.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ₩24.5K

$15.08 $15.08

22.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ₩2,776

$2.92 $2.92

-28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₩2,422

$3.46 $3.46

-47.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₩1,368

$1.49 $1.49

-30.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,841

$2.73 $2.73

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩876

$1.66 $1.66

-60.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$35.30 $35.30

-74.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,811

$0.95 $0.95

43.16%

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

$29.3K ₩39.0M

$36.0K $36.0K

-18.70%

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

$28.4K ₩37.8M

$27.1K $27.1K

4.91%

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

$207 ₩275.9K

$229 $229

-9.39%

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

$36.39 ₩48.4K

$59.4 $59.4

-38.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.67 ₩27.5K

$69.9 $69.9

-70.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.6K

$57.2 $57.2

-9.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.09 ₩16.1K

$16.33 $16.33

-25.96%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 ₩14.6K

$14.28 $14.28

-23.04%

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

$532 ₩707.0K

$1,506 $1,506

-64.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.5M

$21.5K $21.5K

-17.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ₩76.6K

$52.8 $52.8

9.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.21 ₩42.8K

$43.82 $43.82

-26.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ₩92.6K

$84.8 $84.8

-17.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 ₩108.8K

$103 $103

-20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ₩635.4K

$1,907 $1,907

-74.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₩486.9K

$1,274 $1,274

-71.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 ₩1.6M

$3,664 $3,664

-68.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 ₩1.4M

$2,538 $2,538

-59.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,163 ₩9.5M

$7,614 $7,614

-5.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,429 ₩7.2M

$3,157 $3,157

71.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.79

-39.91%

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

Last update for Seongnam: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Seongnam

$423 30.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 4.4% $19

Accommodation & Living

Seongnam

$366 26.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 248% $908

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seongnam

$265 18.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 35.4% $94

Eating Out

Seongnam

$158 11.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 124% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Seongnam

$109 7.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 17.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Seongnam

$74 5.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 16.6% $12

Getting Around

Seongnam

$11 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 431% $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 Seongnam and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Seongnam vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $423 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seongnam

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

15:03 3:03 PM

14 h behind Seongnam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

967,510

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 = 0.889 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 = 0.889 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seongnam Austin, TX 11,160 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Seongnam
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

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

Seongnam wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seongnam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,108 in Seongnam and $3,995 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $478 in Seongnam versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $532 in Seongnam 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 Seongnam – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,405 in Seongnam versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seongnam but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Seongnam 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, Seongnam 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 Seongnam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.