Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bålsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,547 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,547 in Bålsta.

Austin, TX $2,663
Bålsta $1,547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,416 in Bålsta.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bålsta $2,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,286 in Bålsta.

Austin, TX $5,603
Bålsta $3,286

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 72% more expensive than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Bålsta 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.80 SEK 137

50.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$65.1 SEK 645

30.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.62 SEK 85.5

42.92%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.89 SEK 38.56

44.73%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.65 SEK 26.21

40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.22 SEK 22.00

12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.90 SEK 68.4

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.82 SEK 67.6

32.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.53 SEK 15.16

-26.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.02 SEK 20.04

85.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.56 SEK 35.31

-8.43%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.62 SEK 35.86

15.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.93 SEK 108

18.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.00 SEK 119

18.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.92 SEK 108

48.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.44 SEK 24.15

77.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.55 SEK 25.30

-42.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.93 SEK 19.13

133.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.73 SEK 27.06

58.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.46 SEK 14.42

76.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.22 SEK 12.07

92.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.51 SEK 14.94

17.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.98 SEK 9.70

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.18 SEK 71.2

37.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.74 SEK 96.5

54.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.53 SEK 15.16

90.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.01 SEK 19.88

72.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.19 SEK 31.62

-53.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$78.0 SEK 773

-46.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.81 SEK 57.6

-53.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.51 SEK 15.00

9.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$78.0 SEK 773

-54.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.75 SEK 17.37

-45.71%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$32.9K SEK 325.8K

9.63%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.0K SEK 317.3K

-15.46%

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

$229 $229

$49.58 SEK 491

361.86%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$20.01 SEK 198

196.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$39.64 SEK 393

76.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$38.01 SEK 377

50.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$25.77 SEK 255

-36.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.98 SEK 129

10.02%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$121 SEK 1,194

1149.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,908 SEK 48.6K

337.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$70.8 SEK 701

-25.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$10.12 SEK 100

333.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$81.0 SEK 803

4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$110 SEK 1,087

-6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$794 SEK 7,862

140.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$602 SEK 5,966

111.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,359 SEK 13.5K

169.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,014 SEK 10.1K

150.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,972 SEK 39.4K

91.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,805 SEK 27.8K

12.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,866 SEK 38.3K

32.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.8

142.50%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Bålsta

$602 38.9% 52.7% $672

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Bålsta

$294 19% 27.2% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Bålsta

$109 7.1% 69.5% $249

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Bålsta

$251 16.2% 29.2% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Bålsta

$122 7.9% 4.5% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bålsta

$64 4.1% 25.4% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Bålsta

$104 6.7% 77.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $794 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 32% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $65.0 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $294 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

13,138

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

SEK to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Bålsta 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bålsta

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 Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $794 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,547 in Bålsta – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 87% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,547 in Bålsta versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta 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 Bålsta 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 Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.