Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,708 in Honolulu, HI, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in Honolulu, HI
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Honolulu, HI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Honolulu, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Honolulu, 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 Honolulu, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,708 in Honolulu, HI.

Austin, TX $2,607
Honolulu, HI $3,708

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $5,954 in Honolulu, HI.

Austin, TX $4,031
Honolulu, HI $5,954

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $8,200 in Honolulu, HI.

Austin, TX $5,454
Honolulu, HI $8,200

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 30% less than in Honolulu, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Honolulu, HI 172% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$27.73 $27.73

-26.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$140 $140

-39.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$15.03 $15.03

-19.36%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$10.28 $10.28

-45.04%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$4.84 $4.84

-23.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.57 $3.57

-33.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$10.68 $10.68

-26.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$11.28 $11.28

-21.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.18 $2.18

-47.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$7.52 $7.52

-50.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$10.17 $10.17

-67.45%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$8.69 $8.69

-52.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$27.68 $27.68

-53.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$20.05 $20.05

-30.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$21.26 $21.26

-23.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$7.99 $7.99

-41.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$5.14 $5.14

-71.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.77 $6.77

-24.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$9.48 $9.48

-52.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.81 $4.81

-35.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.89 $4.89

-51.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$5.15 $5.15

-65.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.18 $3.18

-30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$12.91 $12.91

-22.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$18.31 $18.31

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.72 $2.72

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$5.81 $5.81

-42.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.07 $3.07

-60.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$90.8 $90.8

-55.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.42 $3.42

-18.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.58 $2.58

-36.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$45.37 $45.37

-22.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.44 $1.44

-34.03%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$36.2K $36.2K

-5.44%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.51%

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

$223 $223

$259 $259

-13.81%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$66.4 $66.4

-11.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$66.2 $66.2

7.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$53.8 $53.8

-1.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$31.55 $31.55

-46.91%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$19.86 $19.86

-29.20%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,174 $2,174

-32.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-20.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$62.7 $62.7

-16.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$47.12 $47.12

-9.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$99.8 $99.8

-13.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$130 $130

-20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,529 $2,529

-16.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,741 $1,741

-29.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$4,407 $4,407

-12.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,603 $3,603

-33.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$9,028 $9,028

-17.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$7,207 $7,207

-57.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,079 $4,079

26.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.7

1.79%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Honolulu, HI: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Honolulu, HI

$1.7K 47% 41.5% $511

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Honolulu, HI

$710 19.1% 73.2% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Honolulu, HI

$391 10.6% 11% $39

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Honolulu, HI

$500 13.5% 43.6% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Honolulu, HI

$153 4.1% 19.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Honolulu, HI

$94 2.5% 15.3% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Honolulu, HI

$119 3.2% 112% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,529 in Honolulu, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $140 in Honolulu, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $710 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Honolulu, HI

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

12:03 12:03 PM

4 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

350,964

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Honolulu, HI 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Honolulu, 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 Honolulu, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Honolulu, 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 27% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,529 in Honolulu, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,708 in Honolulu, HI – Austin, TX is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 55% less than in Honolulu, HI. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Honolulu, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.