Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Butuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $578 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Butuan
🇵🇭 Philippines
$578
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $578 in Butuan.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Butuan $578

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $913 in Butuan.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Butuan $913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,248 in Butuan.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Butuan $1,248

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 361% more expensive than in Butuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Butuan is 57% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Butuan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$4.67 ₱294
344.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$26.83 ₱1,689
215.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$2.41 ₱152
411.20%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.09 ₱131
169.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$0.33 ₱21.01
1027.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.23 ₱14.47
986.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$1.57 ₱98.8
412.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.46 ₱155
266.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Butuan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.95 ₱123
-42.56%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.09 ₱68.9
244.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$0.87 ₱55.0
274.71%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$1.86 ₱117
124.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$6.21 ₱391
107.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$4.84 ₱305
192.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$9.32 ₱587
74.03%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.68 ₱169
61.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.11 ₱69.7
31.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.42 ₱152
86.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.20 ₱75.8
261.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.02 ₱127
27.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$3.51 ₱221
-33.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.25 ₱79.0
42.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.67 ₱42.40
231.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$2.39 ₱150
313.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$8.13 ₱512
85.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.25 ₱78.7
133.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.69 ₱106
104.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Butuan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.78 ₱49.31
250.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.25 ₱15.83
564.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$1.96 ₱123
1701.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.05 ₱66.1
-9.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$21.2K ₱1.3M
69.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$19.0K ₱1.2M
42.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Butuan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$107 ₱6,745
113.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$18.89 ₱1,189
214.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$30.87 ₱1,944
126.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Butuan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$23.85 ₱1,502
140.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$4.37 ₱275
226.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Butuan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$108 ₱6,790
1296.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$7,696 ₱484.6K
178.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Butuan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$61.7 ₱3,885
-14.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$31.28 ₱1,970
40.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$71.8 ₱4,523
18.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$62.2 ₱3,916
65.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Butuan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Butuan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
8.31
-18.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Butuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Butuan
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Butuan
$200 50.6% $205
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Butuan
$157 56.2% $201
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Butuan
$85 76.1% $269
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Butuan
$102 20.2% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Butuan
$33 62% $53
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Butuan
$2 * 96.5% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $27.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $200 per month, with Butuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇵🇭 Butuan
🕒 Local time
15:47 3:47 PM
04:47 4:47 AM
13 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
337,063
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Butuan 13,660 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Butuan

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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Butuan?
Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 361% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Butuan?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $867 in Butuan 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 do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Butuan?
Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $108 in Butuan. 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 Butuan?
Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $27.00 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 Butuan?
At $578 in Butuan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Butuan?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Butuan?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Butuan 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 Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 361% 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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