Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Island Garden City of Samal

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $747 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $747 in Island Garden City of Samal.

Austin, TX $2,663
Island Garden City of Samal $747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,102 in Island Garden City of Samal.

Austin, TX $4,133
Island Garden City of Samal $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,457 in Island Garden City of Samal.

Austin, TX $5,603
Island Garden City of Samal $1,457

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 257% more expensive than in Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Island Garden City of Samal is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$1.22 ₱76.6

1602.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$17.02 ₱1,072

397.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.07 ₱256

202.70%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.18 ₱137

158.26%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.04 ₱65.7

257.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.64 ₱40.33

290.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.18 ₱74.5

582.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.98 ₱125

355.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.03 ₱128

-44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.14 ₱71.5

228.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.88 ₱55.2

270.45%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.87 ₱118

122.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.26 ₱394

106.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.64 ₱292

205.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.10 ₱573

78.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.73 ₱172

58.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.12 ₱70.4

30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.38 ₱150

89.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.14 ₱71.7

280.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.98 ₱125

30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.41 ₱215

-31.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.21 ₱76.0

47.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.72 ₱45.46

208.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.49 ₱156

296.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.76 ₱489

94.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.23 ₱77.5

137.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.68 ₱106

105.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 ₱18.09

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$11.62 ₱732

259.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.83 ₱52.0

228.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.25 ₱15.83

564.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$1.92 ₱121

1738.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.24 ₱78.0

-23.39%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

70.02%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

43.48%

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

$229 $229

$98.4 ₱6,196

132.69%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$19.24 ₱1,211

208.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.01 ₱1,952

125.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$29.89 ₱1,882

91.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$4.57 ₱288

257.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.87 ₱307

193.22%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$107 ₱6,729

1308.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,691 ₱484.2K

178.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$33.60 ₱2,115

57.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$19.67 ₱1,238

122.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$70.4 ₱4,433

20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$62.4 ₱3,929

65.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$250 ₱15.7K

664.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$197 ₱12.4K

547.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$504 ₱31.7K

627.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$315 ₱19.8K

706.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,056 ₱129.4K

270.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,083 ₱68.2K

191.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.31

-18.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Island Garden City of Samal

$197 26.3% 84.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$199 26.6% 50.9% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Island Garden City of Samal

$149 19.9% 58.5% $210

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Island Garden City of Samal

$65 8.7% 81.7% $289

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Island Garden City of Samal

$84 11.2% 34.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$40 5.3% 53.8% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$15 2% 74.7% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $250 in Island Garden City of Samal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $17.00 in Island Garden City of Samal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $199 per month, with Island Garden City of Samal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🕒 Local time

16:31 4:31 PM

05:31 5:31 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

116,771

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Island Garden City of Samal 13,790 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Island Garden City of Samal wins on cost – living expenses run 257% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Island Garden City of Samal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,121 in Island Garden City of Samal 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 $250 in Island Garden City of Samal. 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 $747 in Island Garden City of Samal – a 257% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Island Garden City of Samal runs roughly 259% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $747 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Island Garden City of Samal but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Island Garden City of Samal 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 Island Garden City of Samal 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 Island Garden City of Samal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 257% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.