Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bellville

For one person, living is cheaper in Bellville: $1,146 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Bellville
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,146
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,146 in Bellville.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Bellville $1,146

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,762 in Bellville.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Bellville $1,762

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,378 in Bellville.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Bellville $2,378

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 132% more expensive than in Bellville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Bellville is 15% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Bellville
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$12.01 R 198
72.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$24.41 R 402
246.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$6.08 R 100
102.63%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$1.90 R 31.30
196.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.26 R 20.82
195.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.01 R 16.62
147.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.27 R 37.46
254.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$3.64 R 59.9
147.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Bellville
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.34 R 22.05
-16.42%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.20 R 19.83
212.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.17 R 35.74
50.23%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.95 R 48.66
41.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$8.63 R 142
49.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$6.80 R 112
108.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$9.68 R 159
67.56%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.92 R 31.67
125.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.96 R 32.36
-25.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.73 R 28.51
160.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.12 R 35.00
104.72%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.50 R 24.65
72.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.48 R 24.42
58.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.30 R 21.40
36.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.17 R 19.31
89.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$3.53 R 58.2
179.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$5.95 R 98.0
153.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.38 R 22.72
111.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.11 R 34.81
63.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Bellville
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.48 R 24.38
0.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.61 R 10.13
347.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.46 R 24.04
13.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$5.07 R 83.6
596.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.51 R 24.88
-37.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$34.9K R 574.4K
3.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$31.8K R 523.7K
-14.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Bellville
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$118 R 1,943
94.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$28.41 R 468
109.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$39.33 R 648
77.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Bellville
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$31.81 R 524
79.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$10.55 R 174
54.79%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$9.26 R 153
54.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Bellville
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$266 R 4,375
467.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,822 R 112.4K
214.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Bellville
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$56.0 R 922
-5.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$32.60 R 537
34.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$121 R 1,989
-29.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$105 R 1,726
-1.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Bellville
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$388 R 6,400
391.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$366 R 6,031
248.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$733 R 12.1K
399.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$728 R 12.0K
248.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$884 R 14.6K
761.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$664 R 10.9K
375.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Bellville
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
10.97
-38.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bellville: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Bellville
$366 71.3% $908
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Bellville
$223 44.8% $181
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Bellville
$186 48.2% $173
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Bellville
$165 53.4% $189
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Bellville
$141 10.4% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Bellville
$50 41.3% $35
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Bellville
$14 * 76.4% $45

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $388 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $24.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $223 per month, with Bellville cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇿🇦 Bellville
🕒 Local time
07:40 7:40 AM
14:40 2:40 PM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
112,507
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Bellville 14,100 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Bellville

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 Bellville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Bellville?
Bellville wins on cost – living expenses run 132% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Bellville?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,718 in Bellville 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Bellville?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $388 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Bellville?
Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $266 in Bellville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Bellville?
Dining out is cheaper in Bellville – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Austin, TX or in Bellville?
At $1,146 in Bellville versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bellville but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bellville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Austin, TX or Bellville?
Both work as nomad bases, but Bellville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,146 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellville hard to pass up.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Bellville?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Bellville are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bellville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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