Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hat Yai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Hat Yai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $731 in Hat Yai.

Austin, TX $2,663
Hat Yai $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,300 in Hat Yai.

Austin, TX $4,133
Hat Yai $1,300

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,870 in Hat Yai.

Austin, TX $5,603
Hat Yai $1,870

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 265% more expensive than in Hat Yai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Hat Yai is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.90 ฿96.9

616.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$43.67 ฿1,460

93.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.66 ฿122

236.61%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.88 ฿96.3

95.49%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.33 ฿44.34

179.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.56 ฿18.60

346.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.80 ฿60.1

347.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.46 ฿116

160.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.45 ฿48.55

-22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.25 ฿41.68

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.24 ฿41.28

162.90%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.51 ฿83.9

66.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$22.15 ฿740

-41.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$2.24 ฿74.7

532.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.19 ฿374

44.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.54 ฿84.8

70.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.38 ฿46.10

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.89 ฿63.3

138.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.80 ฿60.3

141.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.46 ฿48.94

76.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.03 ฿34.38

128.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.07 ฿35.74

66.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.41 ฿13.57

441.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.36 ฿146

126.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.03 ฿502

0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.77 ฿59.2

64.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.99 ฿66.4

73.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.57 ฿18.98

161.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.25 ฿41.71

118.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.13 ฿37.78

46.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.94 ฿165

614.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.29 ฿43.15

-26.36%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$18.9K ฿630.6K

91.05%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$45.1K ฿1.5M

-39.99%

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

$229 $229

$84.4 ฿2,819

171.44%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$11.75 ฿393

405.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.65 ฿322

624.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$48.45 ฿1,619

18.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.10 ฿471

15.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.19 ฿240

98.61%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$562 ฿18.8K

168.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.7K ฿357.3K

100.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$37.54 ฿1,255

40.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$26.26 ฿878

66.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$70.9 ฿2,369

19.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$97.3 ฿3,250

5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$270 ฿9,010

607.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$107 ฿3,576

1090.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$729 ฿24.4K

402.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$397 ฿13.3K

539.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,915 ฿64.0K

297.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,584 ฿52.9K

99.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$452 ฿15.1K

1033.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.36

6.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Hat Yai

$107 14.7% 91.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Hat Yai

$249 34.1% 38.4% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Hat Yai

$106 14.5% 70.5% $253

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Hat Yai

$92 12.6% 73.9% $262

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Hat Yai

$104 14.3% 18.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Hat Yai

$63 8.6% 26.8% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3% 84.4% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $270 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1034% 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 $44.00 in Hat Yai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $249 per month, with Hat Yai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

04:33 4:33 AM

12 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

156,802

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Hat Yai 15,440 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hat Yai

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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 265% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1034% 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 $270 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $562 in Hat Yai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Hat Yai versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 265% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.