Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Busia

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $73.2 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $31,600 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

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$73.2

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $73.2 in Busia.

Austin, TX $2,704
Busia $73.2

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $118 in Busia.

Austin, TX $4,133
Busia $118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $163 in Busia.

Austin, TX $5,562
Busia $163

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3592% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Busia is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

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

$3.82 $3.82

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.29 UGX 1,160

289.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.23 UGX 4,972

207.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.53 UGX 6,180

170.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$3.78 UGX 15.3K

322.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.43 UGX 9,841

80.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.78 UGX 3,140

437.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.46 UGX 5,898

61.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.24 UGX 961

800.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$1.15 UGX 4,663

753.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$5.03 UGX 20.3K

192.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.98 UGX 3,950

183.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.26 UGX 5,110

176.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

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

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

$58.0 $58.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

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

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 Busia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Busia

–

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Busia

–

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

14:19 2:19 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

64,900

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,533 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR).

UGX to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Busia 13,890 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Busia

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 Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 3592% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,055 in Austin, TX and $110 in Busia 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 460% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $73.2 in Busia – a 3592% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $73.2 in Busia versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Busia 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.

Expats usually find Busia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3592% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.