Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cotabato City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $764 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
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Cotabato City Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Cotabato City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $764 in Cotabato City.

Austin, TX $2,698
Cotabato City $764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,169 in Cotabato City.

Austin, TX $4,160
Cotabato City $1,169

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,574 in Cotabato City.

Austin, TX $5,622
Cotabato City $1,574

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 253% more expensive than in Cotabato City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Cotabato City is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$4.65 ₱293

343.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$16.57 ₱1,044

410.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$4.00 ₱252

201.75%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.23 ₱141

145.74%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.04 ₱65.4

265.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.64 ₱40.49

285.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.17 ₱73.4

588.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$1.91 ₱120

364.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.02 ₱127

-45.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.08 ₱68.0

244.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$0.78 ₱49.16

332.05%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.89 ₱119

128.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$6.41 ₱404

104.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$4.67 ₱294

203.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.06 ₱570

80.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.73 ₱172

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.11 ₱69.9

31.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.44 ₱154

93.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.20 ₱75.3

245.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 ₱122

32.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.55 ₱224

-33.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.20 ₱75.4

47.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.71 ₱44.58

201.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$2.47 ₱156

308.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$8.06 ₱507

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.22 ₱77.1

131.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.68 ₱106

104.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.26 ₱16.40

492.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$11.02 ₱694

271.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.84 ₱52.8

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.23 ₱14.37

595.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$1.94 ₱122

1670.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.18 ₱74.4

-20.34%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

58.21%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

43.27%

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

$223 $223

$108 ₱6,788

106.52%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$19.38 ₱1,220

203.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$31.55 ₱1,986

123.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$32.71 ₱2,060

76.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$4.78 ₱301

245.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$4.64 ₱292

207.33%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$107 ₱6,709

1317.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$7,519 ₱473.4K

177.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$33.49 ₱2,109

53.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$19.69 ₱1,240

124.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$71.2 ₱4,483

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$60.8 ₱3,825

71.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$270 ₱17.0K

617.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$174 ₱11.0K

656.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$524 ₱33.0K

599.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$357 ₱22.5K

618.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,445 ₱154.0K

200.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$999 ₱62.9K

213.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

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 19, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Cotabato City

$174 22.8% 86.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Cotabato City

$199 26.1% 50.9% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Cotabato City

$159 20.8% 54.9% $193

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Cotabato City

$92 12.1% 73.6% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Cotabato City

$83 10.9% 35.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Cotabato City

$42 5.5% 51.3% $44

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Cotabato City

$14 1.8% 75.8% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $270 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $17.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $199 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

02:09 2:09 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

325,079

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Cotabato City 13,900 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cotabato City

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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 253% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $1,146 in Cotabato City 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $270 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $764 in Cotabato City – a 253% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 272% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Cotabato City versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 253% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.