Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and East London

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $1,001 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in East London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,001 in East London.

Austin, TX $2,663
East London $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,632 in East London.

Austin, TX $4,133
East London $1,632

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,262 in East London.

Austin, TX $5,603
East London $2,262

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 166% more expensive than in East London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, East London is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.27 R 153

124.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$38.10 R 628

122.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.73 R 94.4

115.01%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.07 R 34.16

171.98%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.02 R 16.79

264.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.78 R 12.92

220.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.71 R 44.62

197.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.16 R 52.1

185.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.17 R 19.32

-4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.94 R 15.51

298.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.52 R 24.99

114.47%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.29 R 37.81

82.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.72 R 144

47.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.36 R 88.3

164.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.64 R 109

144.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.55 R 25.49

179.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.55 R 25.62

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.68 R 27.68

168.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.51 R 24.83

187.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.67 R 27.53

54.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.42 R 23.45

65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.12 R 18.49

58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.92 R 15.19

141.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.85 R 47.01

246.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.90 R 80.7

207.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.14 R 18.79

156.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$0.91 R 15.04

280.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.54 R 25.40

-3.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$46.97 R 774

-11.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.19 R 19.60

129.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.49 R 8.11

238.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.55 R 141

312.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.35 R 22.30

-29.63%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.4K R 582.9K

1.89%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.1K R 495.4K

-9.97%

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

$229 $229

$121 R 1,994

89.22%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$32.82 R 541

80.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$44.33 R 730

57.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.22 R 646

45.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.81 R 79.3

196.88%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$176 R 2,896

756.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,405 R 89.1K

296.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$57.3 R 944

-7.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.61 R 554

30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$73.7 R 1,214

15.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$95.2 R 1,568

8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$289 R 4,760

560.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$256 R 4,219

397.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$547 R 9,017

569.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$655 R 10.8K

287.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,657 R 27.3K

209.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-38.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for East London: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

East London

$256 25.6% 79.9% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

East London

$181 18.1% 55.2% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

East London

$198 19.8% 44.7% $160

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

East London

$143 14.3% 59.5% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

East London

$117 11.7% 8.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

East London

$49 4.9% 43.1% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

East London

$57 5.7% 3.2% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $289 in East London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 209% 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 $38.00 in East London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $181 per month, with East London cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇦 East London

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

13:15 1:15 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

267,007

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

ZAR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX East London 14,920 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
East London

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

East London wins on cost – living expenses run 166% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making East London the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 209% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $289 in East London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,001 in East London – a 166% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in East London runs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,001 in East London versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in East London but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes East London 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 East London gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.