Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ichikawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ichikawa: $1,167 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Ichikawa
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Ichikawa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ichikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,167

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,167 in Ichikawa.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ichikawa $1,167

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,876 in Ichikawa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ichikawa $1,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,585 in Ichikawa.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ichikawa $2,585

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 128% more expensive than in Ichikawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Ichikawa is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.13 ¥811

304.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.09 ¥4,912

172.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.30 ¥680

186.51%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.23 ¥352

152.47%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.72 ¥113

416.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.35 ¥55.7

614.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.50 ¥395

222.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.18 ¥502

183.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.38 ¥218

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.65 ¥261

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.66 ¥578

-10.93%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.97 ¥311

111.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.53 ¥1,663

22.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.86 ¥926

141.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.38 ¥2,272

12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.53 ¥874

-21.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.80 ¥442

-47.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.81 ¥444

60.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.26 ¥673

1.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.61 ¥413

-1.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.56 ¥404

-8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.28 ¥202

39.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.75 ¥118

196.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.73 ¥590

164.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.38 ¥1,007

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.78 ¥281

64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.02 ¥320

71.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.35 ¥213

10.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$59.9 ¥9,457

-30.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.13 ¥494

-12.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.73 ¥432

-39.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.59 ¥3,253

71.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.05 ¥166

-9.52%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.2K ¥3.4M

69.97%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.5K ¥2.9M

46.13%

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

$229 $229

$132 ¥20.8K

73.69%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.97 ¥3,788

147.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.98 ¥5,052

118.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$47.04 ¥7,431

21.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.80 ¥2,022

11.56%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$642 ¥101.4K

134.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.6K ¥2.3M

47.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$62.0 ¥9,801

-14.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$37.27 ¥5,889

17.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$60.5 ¥9,559

40.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$102 ¥16.1K

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$495 ¥78.3K

284.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$317 ¥50.1K

302.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,186 ¥187.3K

209.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$763 ¥120.5K

232.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,455 ¥703.9K

70.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,881 ¥297.2K

67.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.64

157.20%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ichikawa: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ichikawa

$317 27.1% 75.1% $957

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ichikawa

$287 24.6% 29.2% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ichikawa

$188 16.1% 47.6% $171

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ichikawa

$104 8.9% 70.7% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ichikawa

$118 10.1% 8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ichikawa

$73 6.2% 15.3% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ichikawa

$82 7% 39.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $495 in Ichikawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $31.00 in Ichikawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $287 per month, with Ichikawa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Ichikawa

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

06:04 6:04 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

496,676

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Between locations

Austin, TX Ichikawa 10,520 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ichikawa

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 Ichikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ichikawa wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ichikawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,751 in Ichikawa 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $495 in Ichikawa. 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 $1,167 in Ichikawa – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ichikawa runs roughly 43% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,167 in Ichikawa versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ichikawa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.