Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hilo, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $2,865 in Hilo, HI, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Hilo, HI despite lower rent and utilities.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
Learn more

Hilo, HI Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Hilo, HI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,865 in Hilo, HI.

Austin, TX $2,689
Hilo, HI $2,865

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $4,388 in Hilo, HI.

Austin, TX $4,112
Hilo, HI $4,388

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,910 in Hilo, HI.

Austin, TX $5,534
Hilo, HI $5,910

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 6% less than in Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Hilo, HI 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$20.77 $20.77

2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$79.9 $79.9

10.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$12.17 $12.17

2.22%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.63 $5.63

-0.53%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.90 $2.90

25.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.42 $2.42

-1.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$6.32 $6.32

23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$7.57 $7.57

15.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.75 $1.75

-36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$10.08 $10.08

-64.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.28 $4.28

-18.22%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$7.07 $7.07

-37.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$19.98 $19.98

-34.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$17.57 $17.57

-20.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$30.15 $30.15

-45.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$8.57 $8.57

-44.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.39 $2.39

-37.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$10.48 $10.48

-55.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$12.21 $12.21

-62.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$9.04 $9.04

-71.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$7.81 $7.81

-69.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$5.36 $5.36

-65.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.02 $3.02

-29.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$11.90 $11.90

-15.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$22.03 $22.03

-32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.76 $1.76

60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.95 $2.95

-9.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.00 $2.00

-18.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$23.57 $23.57

49.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.41 $1.41

-30.50%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$25.5K $25.5K

34.80%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.99%

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

$252 $252

$302 $302

-16.46%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$67.7 $67.7

-11.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$125 $125

-44.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$37.04 $37.04

62.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$25.30 $25.30

-28.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$13.24 $13.24

3.85%

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

$1,458 $1,458

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$11.8K $11.8K

124.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$36.77 $36.77

43.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$29.88 $29.88

53.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$66.8 $66.8

27.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$83.9 $83.9

26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,463 $1,463

50.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,142 $1,142

11.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,574 $2,574

55.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,199 $2,199

9.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$5,600 $5,600

31.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$4,662 $4,662

-36.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,795 $3,795

32.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.62

3.02%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hilo, HI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Hilo, HI

$1.1K 39.9% 10% $127

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Hilo, HI

$715 * 25% 75.6% $308

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Hilo, HI

$495 17.3% 29.7% $113

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Hilo, HI

$338 11.8% 5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Hilo, HI

$98 3.4% 25% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Hilo, HI

$64 2.2% 27.7% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Hilo, HI

$13 * 0.5% 77.3% $44

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,463 in Hilo, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $80 in Hilo, HI. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $715, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

05:19 5:19 AM

4 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

44,186

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Hilo, HI 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hilo, HI

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 Hilo, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Hilo, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,463 in Hilo, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,865 in Hilo, HI – Austin, TX is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Hilo, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.