Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Big Bend

For one person, living is cheaper in Big Bend: $716 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Big Bend
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Big Bend Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Big Bend

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Big Bend

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $716 in Big Bend.

Austin, TX $2,704
Big Bend $716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,428 in Big Bend.

Austin, TX $4,133
Big Bend $1,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,141 in Big Bend.

Austin, TX $5,562
Big Bend $2,141

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 278% more expensive than in Big Bend, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Big Bend is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$4.04 SZL 66.6

400.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$27.58 SZL 455

208.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.05 SZL 83.3

144.55%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.53 SZL 25.22

257.52%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.77 SZL 12.61

396.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.41 SZL 6.78

509.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.54 SZL 25.31

423.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.65 SZL 27.25

444.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.21 SZL 19.92

-6.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.83 SZL 13.63

355.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.60 SZL 26.42

103.12%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.77 SZL 78.6

-13.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$17.98 SZL 296

-27.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$12.07 SZL 199

18.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$4.84 SZL 79.8

229.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.23 SZL 69.7

3.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.62 SZL 10.23

133.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.88 SZL 31.04

141.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.26 SZL 20.69

232.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.37 SZL 39.14

10.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.12 SZL 34.94

11.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.93 SZL 15.37

89.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.93 SZL 15.32

132.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$5.84 SZL 96.2

67.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$3.58 SZL 59.0

311.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.63 SZL 10.32

341.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$0.89 SZL 14.62

291.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.20 SZL 19.74

24.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$23.94 SZL 395

69.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.81 SZL 29.84

47.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.50 SZL 24.70

5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.71 SZL 61.2

851.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.13 SZL 18.57

-12.39%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$12.4K SZL 204.0K

189.36%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$18.6K SZL 306.3K

46.26%

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

$219 $219

$129 SZL 2,125

70.11%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$24.47 SZL 403

136.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$24.73 SZL 408

176.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$18.35 SZL 302

215.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$2.47 SZL 40.70

500.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$3.12 SZL 51.4

352.88%

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

$36.95 SZL 609

39.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$24.81 SZL 409

77.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$37.05 SZL 611

129.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$55.2 SZL 910

90.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$110 SZL 1,805

1664.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$74.4 SZL 1,227

1609.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,095 SZL 18.0K

235.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$737 SZL 12.2K

242.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$200 SZL 3,291

3714.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$144 SZL 2,379

2116.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$808 SZL 13.3K

532.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-24.56%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Big Bend: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Big Bend

$74 10.4% 94.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Big Bend

$252 35.1% 37.5% $151

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Big Bend

$82 11.4% 76.6% $266

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Big Bend

$178 24.8% 48.5% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Big Bend

$69 9.7% 46.2% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Big Bend

$25 3.4% 71.5% $62

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Big Bend

$38 5.3% 33.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $110 in Big Bend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 532% 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 $28.00 in Big Bend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $252 per month, with Big Bend cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇿 Big Bend

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

07:02 7:02 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

6,433

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

SZL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Big Bend 15,120 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Big Bend

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 Big Bend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Big Bend wins on cost – living expenses run 278% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Big Bend the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 532% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $110 in Big Bend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Big Bend – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Big Bend runs roughly 69% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $716 in Big Bend versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Big Bend but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Big Bend 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 Big Bend 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 Big Bend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 278% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.