Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Folkestone

For one person, living is cheaper in Folkestone: $1,957 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Folkestone
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,957
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,957 in Folkestone.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Folkestone $1,957

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,010 in Folkestone.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Folkestone $3,010

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,063 in Folkestone.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Folkestone $4,063

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 36% more expensive than in Folkestone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Folkestone 45% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Folkestone
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$17.05 £12.79
21.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$65.1 £48.82
30.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$10.41 £7.81
18.35%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$4.75 £3.56
18.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.71 £2.03
37.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.85 £1.39
35.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$7.06 £5.30
14.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$6.67 £5.00
35.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Folkestone
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.50 £1.13
-25.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.38 £1.04
171.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.29 £0.97
152.71%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.02 £2.27
38.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$9.51 £7.13
35.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$7.88 £5.91
79.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$14.72 £11.04
10.19%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.26 £2.45
32.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.44 £1.08
1.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.77 £2.08
62.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.16 £2.37
37.34%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.68 £1.26
53.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.41 £1.06
66.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.66 £1.24
7.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.43 £1.07
55.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$23.43 £17.58
-57.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$11.06 £8.30
36.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.72 £2.04
7.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$3.69 £2.77
-6.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Folkestone
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.62 £1.96
-43.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$33.05 £24.79
26.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$1.34 £1.01
103.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.62 £1.21
2.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$21.08 £15.82
67.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.99 £1.49
-52.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$37.9K £28.4K
-4.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$40.2K £30.2K
-32.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Folkestone
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$249 £187
-8.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$24.71 £18.54
140.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$41.19 £30.90
69.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Folkestone
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$72.7 £54.5
-21.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$9.58 £7.19
70.46%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$21.21 £15.91
-32.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Folkestone
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$1,047 £786
43.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$20.1K £15.1K
6.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Folkestone
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$68.7 £51.5
-23.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$31.08 £23.32
40.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$78.8 £59.1
7.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$50.4 £37.79
104.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Folkestone
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$1,142 £857
66.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$794 £596
60.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,491 £1,119
145.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,582 £1,187
60.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$3,437 £2,578
121.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$3,398 £2,549
-7.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Folkestone
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
4.91
38.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Folkestone: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Folkestone
$794 37.7% $480
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Folkestone
$285 29.6% $120
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Folkestone
$315 12% $43
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Folkestone
$291 17.7% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Folkestone
$103 19.5% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Folkestone
$115 34.2% $29
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Folkestone
$53 9.8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,142 in Folkestone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $65.0 in Folkestone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $285 per month, with Folkestone cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇬🇧 Folkestone
🕒 Local time
08:27 8:27 AM
14:27 2:27 PM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
45,273
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Folkestone 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Folkestone

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 Folkestone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Folkestone?
Folkestone wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Folkestone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Folkestone?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,935 in Folkestone 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 much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Folkestone?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,142 in Folkestone. 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 Folkestone?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,957 in Folkestone – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Folkestone?
A monthly transit pass in Folkestone runs roughly 26% 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 $3,000/month in Austin, TX or in Folkestone?
At $1,957 in Folkestone versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Folkestone but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Folkestone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Folkestone?
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 Folkestone?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Folkestone 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 Folkestone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% 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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