Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cagliari

For one person, living is cheaper in Cagliari: $1,739 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Cagliari
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,739
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,739 in Cagliari.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Cagliari $1,739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,723 in Cagliari.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Cagliari $2,723

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,708 in Cagliari.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Cagliari $3,708

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 55% more expensive than in Cagliari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Cagliari 30% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Cagliari
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$22.38 €19.97
-9.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$85.5 €76.3
-0.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$11.43 €10.20
8.05%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$2.09 €1.87
161.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$3.24 €2.89
17.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.48 €1.32
68.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$5.59 €4.99
44.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$4.57 €4.08
96.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Cagliari
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.61 €1.44
-29.81%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$2.71 €2.41
39.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.85 €2.55
14.04%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$3.63 €3.24
14.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$21.24 €18.96
-38.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$12.23 €10.92
17.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$22.89 €20.43
-30.28%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.59 €2.31
69.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.78 €1.59
-18.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$2.31 €2.07
96.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$3.47 €3.10
20.75%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.86 €1.66
41.40%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$2.25 €2.01
4.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.50 €1.34
17.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.57 €0.51
278.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$7.40 €6.60
32.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$8.05 €7.18
82.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$1.66 €1.48
67.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.76 €1.58
97.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Cagliari
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.45 €1.29
2.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$38.66 €34.50
4.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$9.72 €8.67
-72.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.50 €1.33
5.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$31.00 €27.67
13.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$2.08 €1.85
-52.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$36.2K €32.3K
-1.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$36.0K €32.1K
-24.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Cagliari
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$159 €142
38.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$8.86 €7.91
554.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$29.95 €26.73
128.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Cagliari
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$51.1 €45.56
13.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$24.08 €21.49
-38.46%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$11.04 €9.85
27.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Cagliari
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$522 €466
189.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$7,938 €7,083
170.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Cagliari
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$95.6 €85.3
-45.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$42.63 €38.04
3.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$91.7 €81.8
-7.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$117 €104
-9.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Cagliari
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$861 €768
124.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$621 €554
105.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$1,389 €1,240
164.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$1,013 €904
149.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$3,234 €2,886
135.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$2,373 €2,117
34.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Cagliari
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$1,815 €1,620
181.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
3.27
107.65%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cagliari: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Cagliari
$621 51.2% $652
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Cagliari
$364 9.7% $39
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Cagliari
$294 15.4% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Cagliari
$198 42.8% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Cagliari
$156 21.2% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Cagliari
$73 15.1% $13
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Cagliari
$62 8.1% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $861 in Cagliari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 181% 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 $85.0 in Cagliari. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $364, with Cagliari cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇮🇹 Cagliari
🕒 Local time
01:08 1:08 AM
08:08 8:08 AM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
154,478
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Cagliari 9,210 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Cagliari

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 Cagliari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Cagliari?
Cagliari wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cagliari the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Cagliari?
Average pay runs 181% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Cagliari?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $861 in Cagliari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Cagliari?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,739 in Cagliari – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Cagliari?
A monthly transit pass in Cagliari runs roughly 5% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Austin, TX or in Cagliari?
At $1,739 in Cagliari versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cagliari but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cagliari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Austin, TX or Cagliari?
Both work as nomad bases, but Cagliari delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cagliari hard to pass up.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Cagliari?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Cagliari 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 Cagliari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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