Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Songdo-dong and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Songdo-dong: $1,444 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Songdo-dong
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Songdo-dong Living Index
130

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

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Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Songdo-dong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Songdo-dong $1,444
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,292 in Songdo-dong versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Songdo-dong $2,292
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,140 in Songdo-dong versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Songdo-dong $3,140
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Songdo-dong costs roughly 46% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Songdo-dong 7% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 ₩7,825

$20.77 $20.77

-71.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.90 ₩46.6K

$84.6 $84.6

-58.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,847

$12.32 $12.32

-46.19%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ₩4,831

$5.63 $5.63

-35.70%

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

$1.53 ₩2,039

$3.72 $3.72

-58.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₩780

$2.50 $2.50

-76.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 ₩4,077

$8.05 $8.05

-61.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ₩6,088

$9.01 $9.01

-49.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,935

$1.12 $1.12

96.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,080

$3.75 $3.75

-18.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 ₩3,137

$3.26 $3.26

-27.91%

Eggs

$3.33 ₩4,444

$4.17 $4.17

-20.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.79 ₩21.1K

$12.90 $12.90

22.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.4K

$14.16 $14.16

-44.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 ₩15.1K

$16.22 $16.22

-30.09%

Apples (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.4K

$4.33 $4.33

80.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 ₩4,249

$1.46 $1.46

117.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.67 ₩10.2K

$4.51 $4.51

70.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.78 ₩9,048

$4.34 $4.34

56.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₩4,736

$2.58 $2.58

37.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,227

$2.35 $2.35

2.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,727

$1.78 $1.78

14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 ₩1,967

$2.22 $2.22

-33.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,394

$9.88 $9.88

-66.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.48 ₩24.7K

$15.08 $15.08

22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₩3,054

$2.92 $2.92

-21.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,853

$2.73 $2.73

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩820

$1.66 $1.66

-63.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,796

$0.95 $0.95

42.11%

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

$29.2K ₩38.9M

$36.0K $36.0K

-19.05%

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

$35.7K ₩47.6M

$27.1K $27.1K

31.77%

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

$210 ₩279.6K

$229 $229

-8.49%

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

$43.59 ₩58.2K

$59.4 $59.4

-26.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 ₩27.5K

$69.9 $69.9

-70.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 ₩15.1K

$14.28 $14.28

-20.73%

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

$380 ₩507.1K

$1,506 $1,506

-74.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ₩23.9M

$21.5K $21.5K

-16.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 ₩85.8K

$52.8 $52.8

21.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩86.3K

$43.82 $43.82

47.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 ₩100.8K

$84.8 $84.8

-10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 ₩132.0K

$103 $103

-3.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ₩604.7K

$1,274 $1,274

-64.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 ₩2.6M

$3,664 $3,664

-47.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 ₩1.4M

$2,538 $2,538

-58.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,372 ₩4.5M

$5,121 $5,121

-34.14%

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 Songdo-dong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Songdo-dong

$453 31.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 181% $821

Groceries & Markets

Songdo-dong

$408 * 28.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 0.9% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Songdo-dong

$274 19%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 30.9% $85

Eating Out

Songdo-dong

$143 9.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 147% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Songdo-dong

$137 9.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 6.3% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Songdo-dong

$23 * 1.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 279% $63

Getting Around

Songdo-dong

$6.7 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 775% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 52% 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: $35.00 in Songdo-dong vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $408 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Songdo-dong

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

14:07 2:07 PM

14 h behind Songdo-dong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Songdo-dong Austin, TX 11,190 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Songdo-dong
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

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

Songdo-dong wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Songdo-dong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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.

Childcare runs $380 in Songdo-dong 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 Songdo-dong – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,444 in Songdo-dong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Songdo-dong but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Songdo-dong 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, Songdo-dong 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 Songdo-dong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.