Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Apia

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Apia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $851 in Apia.

Austin, TX $2,704
Apia $851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,281 in Apia.

Austin, TX $4,133
Apia $2,281

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,711 in Apia.

Austin, TX $5,562
Apia $3,711

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 218% more expensive than in Apia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Apia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$47.76 WST 133

-57.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$36.89 WST 103

130.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$14.51 WST 40.39

-14.89%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.93 WST 8.15

86.69%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.80 WST 5.01

112.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.39 WST 3.88

79.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.51 WST 9.78

129.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.67 WST 10.20

144.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.83 WST 5.09

-38.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.84 WST 2.34

350.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.86 WST 5.17

74.73%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.15 WST 11.55

-0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$0.94 WST 2.62

1291.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$3.67 WST 10.21

289.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$8.60 WST 23.92

85.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.22 WST 14.54

-16.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.79 WST 4.99

-18.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.87 WST 5.21

142.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.34 WST 12.07

-3.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.70 WST 10.29

-28.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.11 WST 3.10

112.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.22 WST 3.40

77.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.31 WST 17.55

55.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$16.32 WST 45.41

-9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.87 WST 5.19

48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.68 WST 10.24

-5.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.57 WST 9.94

-58.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.33 WST 14.84

-49.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$5.42 WST 15.08

-70.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$21.64 WST 60.2

63.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.06 WST 2.95

-6.60%

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)

$219 $219

$18.16 WST 50.6

1107.43%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$18.40 WST 51.2

215.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$36.53 WST 102

87.13%

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)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,790 WST 4,982

41.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

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 Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Apia

–

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Apia

–

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Apia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Apia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Apia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Apia

–

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Apia

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $37.00 in Apia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $241 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇼🇸 Apia

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

20:11 8:11 PM

18 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

36,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Samoan Tala WST T

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

WST, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

WST to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Apia 9,300 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Apia

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

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

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 218% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,055 in Austin, TX and $1,277 in Apia 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.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $851 in Apia – a 218% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Apia versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Apia 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, Austin, TX and Apia 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.