Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Asahikawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Asahikawa: $1,159 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Asahikawa
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Asahikawa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Asahikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,159

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Asahikawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,159 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,663
Asahikawa $1,159

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,832 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
Asahikawa $1,832

A family of three spends $5,603 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,506 in Asahikawa, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,603
Asahikawa $2,506

Austin, TX costs about 130% more than Asahikawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Austin, TX sits 97% above the global median, while Asahikawa is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.40 ¥853

284.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$35.56 ¥5,618

137.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.53 ¥873

122.78%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.94 ¥465

91.50%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.16 ¥184

220.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.76 ¥120

228.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.86 ¥451

181.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.44 ¥544

161.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.61 ¥255

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.52 ¥240

146.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.77 ¥595

-13.53%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.06 ¥326

102.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.07 ¥1,749

16.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.98 ¥944

136.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.60 ¥2,938

-12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.45 ¥545

25.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.35 ¥372

-37.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.83 ¥448

59.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.73 ¥747

-8.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.28 ¥360

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.62 ¥413

-10.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.15 ¥181

54.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.87 ¥138

155.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.46 ¥705

121.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.16 ¥1,130

110.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.76 ¥277

65.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.26 ¥358

53.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.29 ¥204

15.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$60.6 ¥9,570

-31.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.36 ¥531

-18.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.74 ¥433

-39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$17.41 ¥2,751

102.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 ¥168

-10.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.9K ¥3.5M

64.30%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$13.5K ¥2.1M

100.65%

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

$229 $229

$117 ¥18.5K

95.60%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$25.69 ¥4,059

131.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$27.71 ¥4,378

152.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$49.78 ¥7,864

14.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.53 ¥2,138

5.54%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$500 ¥79.0K

201.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.2K ¥1.9M

76.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$48.15 ¥7,607

9.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.48 ¥5,290

30.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$66.1 ¥10.4K

28.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$85.5 ¥13.5K

20.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$453 ¥71.6K

320.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$306 ¥48.3K

316.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,104 ¥174.4K

231.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$640 ¥101.1K

296.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,448 ¥702.8K

71.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,801 ¥284.5K

75.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.21

207.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Asahikawa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Asahikawa

$306 26.4% 76% $968

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Asahikawa

$295 25.4% 27.2% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Asahikawa

$170 14.7% 52.4% $188

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Asahikawa

$124 10.7% 65% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Asahikawa

$105 9.1% 18% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Asahikawa

$77 6.6% 10.4% $9

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Asahikawa

$83 7.1% 41.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $453 in Asahikawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $36.00 in Asahikawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $295 – making Asahikawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Asahikawa

🕒 Local time

22:25 10:25 PM

12:25 12:25 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

329,306

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

JPY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Asahikawa 9,770 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Asahikawa

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 Asahikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX, $1,159 in Asahikawa – roughly 130% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Austin, TX and $1,739 in Asahikawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Asahikawa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Asahikawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,506 per month in Austin, TX and $500 in Asahikawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Asahikawa, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Asahikawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Asahikawa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Asahikawa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.