Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Isiolo

For one person, living is cheaper in Isiolo: $544 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Isiolo
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Isiolo Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Isiolo

🇰🇪 Kenya

$544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $544 in Isiolo.

Austin, TX $2,698
Isiolo $544

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $891 in Isiolo.

Austin, TX $4,160
Isiolo $891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,239 in Isiolo.

Austin, TX $5,622
Isiolo $1,239

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 396% more expensive than in Isiolo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Isiolo is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$6.25 KES 811

230.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$35.04 KES 4,543

141.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$6.40 KES 829

88.59%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.69 KES 349

103.72%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.66 KES 84.9

475.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.56 KES 73.0

341.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.29 KES 297

251.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.64 KES 342

236.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.89 KES 116

24.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.57 KES 73.4

552.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.91 KES 248

76.44%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.68 KES 218

157.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.78 KES 1,398

21.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.48 KES 840

118.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.22 KES 807

162.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.30 KES 427

37.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.05 KES 136

39.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.03 KES 263

132.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.15 KES 149

260.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.12 KES 145

130.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.08 KES 140

117.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.73 KES 94.9

142.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.75 KES 96.7

185.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.52 KES 457

186.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.43 KES 1,482

32.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.32 KES 300

21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.69 KES 349

27.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.52 KES 197

84.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 KES 197

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$2.86 KES 371

1100.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.61 KES 209

-41.61%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$21.8K KES 2.8M

55.70%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

32.53%

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

$223 $223

$56.5 KES 7,319

294.42%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$14.95 KES 1,939

293.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$34.44 KES 4,465

104.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$7.75 KES 1,004

84.00%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$249 KES 32.3K

506.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$12.4K KES 1.6M

68.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$27.88 KES 3,615

83.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$29.53 KES 3,829

49.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$71.4 KES 9,256

21.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$58.6 KES 7,592

78.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$777 KES 100.7K

580.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

14.71

-53.84%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Isiolo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Isiolo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Isiolo

$206 37.9% 49.2% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Isiolo

$106 19.5% 69.9% $246

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Isiolo

$123 22.6% 64.8% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Isiolo

$84 15.5% 34.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Isiolo

$15 * 2.9% 82% $71

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Isiolo

$9.1 * 1.7% 84.3% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 581% 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 $35.00 in Isiolo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $206 per month, with Isiolo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇪 Isiolo

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

15:22 3:22 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

45,989

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

KES to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Isiolo 14,200 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Isiolo

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 Isiolo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isiolo wins on cost – living expenses run 396% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isiolo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 581% 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.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $249 in Isiolo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Isiolo – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $544 in Isiolo versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isiolo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Isiolo 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.

Expats usually find Isiolo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 396% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.