Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fukushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukushima: $1,165 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Fukushima
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Fukushima Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Fukushima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,165

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,165 in Fukushima.

Austin, TX $2,698
Fukushima $1,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,826 in Fukushima.

Austin, TX $4,160
Fukushima $1,826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,487 in Fukushima.

Austin, TX $5,622
Fukushima $2,487

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 132% more expensive than in Fukushima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Fukushima is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$5.89 ¥930

250.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$29.92 ¥4,727

182.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$4.45 ¥703

171.24%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.55 ¥404

114.90%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.94 ¥148

304.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.67 ¥106

268.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.61 ¥412

208.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$3.12 ¥493

184.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.47 ¥232

-24.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.55 ¥244

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.08 ¥645

-17.40%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.08 ¥328

107.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.38 ¥1,639

26.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.69 ¥1,057

111.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.64 ¥2,629

-1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.77 ¥596

20.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.26 ¥357

-35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.80 ¥443

68.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.07 ¥642

1.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.48 ¥391

4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.57 ¥406

-8.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.29 ¥205

37.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.84 ¥132

154.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.89 ¥615

159.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$6.82 ¥1,077

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.84 ¥291

53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.13 ¥337

61.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.49 ¥235

3.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$48.19 ¥7,613

-14.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.18 ¥502

-11.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.69 ¥425

-40.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$21.15 ¥3,342

62.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 ¥161

-7.84%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$20.2K ¥3.2M

68.62%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$15.6K ¥2.5M

71.68%

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

$223 $223

$126 ¥19.9K

76.44%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$21.15 ¥3,342

178.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$30.04 ¥4,746

134.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$51.6 ¥8,154

11.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.70 ¥1,849

21.88%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$453 ¥71.6K

233.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$11.4K ¥1.8M

83.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$46.93 ¥7,414

9.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$36.00 ¥5,688

22.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$64.6 ¥10.2K

34.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$84.5 ¥13.3K

23.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$535 ¥84.5K

262.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$333 ¥52.5K

295.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,018 ¥160.9K

259.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$705 ¥111.4K

263.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,897 ¥615.6K

88.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,857 ¥293.4K

68.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.21

207.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fukushima: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Fukushima

$333 28.5% 74.7% $984

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Fukushima

$288 24.7% 29% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Fukushima

$177 15.2% 49.6% $175

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Fukushima

$117 10% 66.6% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Fukushima

$104 9% 19.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Fukushima

$75 6.4% 13% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Fukushima

$71 6.1% 22.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $535 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $30.00 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $288 per month, with Fukushima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Fukushima

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

04:18 4:18 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

282,693

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima wins on cost – living expenses run 132% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fukushima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $1,748 in Fukushima 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 $535 in Fukushima. 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 $1,165 in Fukushima – a 132% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Fukushima runs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,165 in Fukushima versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fukushima but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Fukushima 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Fukushima 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 Fukushima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.