Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fukuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,259 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Fukuoka
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Fukuoka Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Fukuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,259 in Fukuoka.

Austin, TX $2,663
Fukuoka $1,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,001 in Fukuoka.

Austin, TX $4,133
Fukuoka $2,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,743 in Fukuoka.

Austin, TX $5,603
Fukuoka $2,743

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 111% more expensive than in Fukuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Fukuoka is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.20 ¥1,138

188.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$42.93 ¥6,783

97.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.84 ¥922

110.96%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.77 ¥596

49.34%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.03 ¥163

261.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.70 ¥111

257.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.79 ¥599

112.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.18 ¥344

313.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.54 ¥243

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.91 ¥302

96.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$6.64 ¥1,050

-50.90%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.29 ¥362

82.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$18.31 ¥2,893

-29.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.40 ¥853

162.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.00 ¥3,002

-14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.54 ¥560

22.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.81 ¥287

-19.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.87 ¥453

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.36 ¥531

29.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.15 ¥340

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.59 ¥409

-9.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.02 ¥161

74.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.93 ¥147

138.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.79 ¥599

160.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.49 ¥1,025

132.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.71 ¥270

70.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.81 ¥286

91.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.47 ¥232

1.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$41.37 ¥6,537

0.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.91 ¥618

-30.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.09 ¥331

-20.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$17.67 ¥2,792

99.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 ¥175

-14.41%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

67.42%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.6K ¥2.8M

53.69%

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

$229 $229

$207 ¥32.8K

10.43%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$25.04 ¥3,955

137.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$32.65 ¥5,159

114.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$53.8 ¥8,506

6.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.91 ¥1,724

30.89%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$126 ¥19.8K

1099.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

73.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$49.44 ¥7,811

6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.89 ¥4,090

69.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$67.1 ¥10.6K

26.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$48.07 ¥7,594

114.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$486 ¥76.8K

292.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$303 ¥47.8K

320.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,233 ¥194.8K

197.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$730 ¥115.4K

247.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$6,329 ¥1.0M

20.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,696 ¥425.9K

17.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,657 ¥261.8K

208.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

1.97

244.67%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Fukuoka

$303 24% 76.2% $971

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Fukuoka

$318 25.3% 21.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Fukuoka

$265 21.1% 26% $93

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Fukuoka

$151 12% 57.4% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Fukuoka

$86 6.8% 33% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Fukuoka

$76 6% 11.8% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Fukuoka

$62 4.9% 5% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $486 in Fukuoka. 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 $43.00 in Fukuoka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $318 per month, with Fukuoka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Fukuoka

🕒 Local time

02:18 2:18 AM

16:18 4:18 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,612,392

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

JPY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Fukuoka 11,300 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fukuoka

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 Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukuoka wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fukuoka 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 $486 in Fukuoka. 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 $1,259 in Fukuoka – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Fukuoka runs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,259 in Fukuoka versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fukuoka but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Fukuoka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fukuoka delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,259 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fukuoka hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Fukuoka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fukuoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.