Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Grimstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Grimstad: $2,129 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,129

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,129 in Grimstad.

Austin, TX $2,663
Grimstad $2,129

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,634 in Grimstad.

Austin, TX $4,133
Grimstad $3,634

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,140 in Grimstad.

Austin, TX $5,603
Grimstad $5,140

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 25% more expensive than in Grimstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Grimstad 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$21.22 NOK 200

-2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$77.1 NOK 726

9.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$15.35 NOK 145

-19.74%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.81 NOK 45.27

17.05%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$4.08 NOK 38.42

-8.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.37 NOK 31.72

-25.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$11.48 NOK 108

-29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$10.48 NOK 98.7

-14.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.54 NOK 23.91

-55.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.63 NOK 34.17

3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.11 NOK 29.32

4.82%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.54 NOK 33.34

17.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.95 NOK 122

-0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$14.02 NOK 132

1.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$24.27 NOK 228

-33.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.03 NOK 19.15

113.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.36 NOK 22.26

-38.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.44 NOK 32.37

31.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.28 NOK 40.26

1.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.77 NOK 26.06

-6.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.81 NOK 26.49

-16.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.08 NOK 28.97

-42.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.87 NOK 17.63

18.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$18.68 NOK 176

-47.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.63 NOK 147

-3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.42 NOK 32.24

-14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.17 NOK 39.21

-17.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$5.31 NOK 49.98

-71.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$90.9 NOK 855

-54.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$11.86 NOK 112

-76.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.85 NOK 17.40

-10.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$69.8 NOK 657

-49.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.33 NOK 21.89

-59.23%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$48.5K NOK 456.8K

-25.71%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$43.9K NOK 413.5K

-38.37%

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

$229 $229

$301 NOK 2,837

-24.03%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$33.76 NOK 318

75.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$54.1 NOK 509

29.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.35 NOK 389

38.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.75 NOK 148

-9.33%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$233 NOK 2,191

546.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$15.7K NOK 147.6K

36.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$95.6 NOK 900

-44.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$52.3 NOK 492

-16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$106 NOK 996

-19.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$157 NOK 1,478

-34.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$876 NOK 8,245

117.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$532 NOK 5,006

139.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,926 NOK 18.1K

90.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,749 NOK 16.5K

45.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,591 NOK 43.2K

65.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,358 NOK 31.6K

-5.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,349 NOK 40.9K

17.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.9

38.57%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Grimstad

$532 25% 58.3% $742

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Grimstad

$435 20.4% 7.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Grimstad

$389 18.3% 8.6% $31

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Grimstad

$382 17.9% 7.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Grimstad

$185 8.7% 44.4% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Grimstad

$73 3.4% 15.1% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Grimstad

$133 6.3% 127% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $876 in Grimstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% 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 $77.0 in Grimstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $435, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

23:02 11:02 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

25,093

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

NOK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Grimstad 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Grimstad

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 Grimstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grimstad wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grimstad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% 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 $876 in Grimstad. 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 $2,129 in Grimstad – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Grimstad runs roughly 118% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,129 in Grimstad versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Grimstad but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Grimstad 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 Grimstad 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 Grimstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.