Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and the Isle of Islay

For one person, living is cheaper on the Isle of Islay: $2,352 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
113

Cost of Living Index on the Isle of Islay
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Isle of Islay Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Isle of Islay

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,352

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and on the Isle of Islay

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 on the Isle of Islay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,352 on the Isle of Islay.

Austin, TX $2,698
Isle of Islay $2,352

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,353 on the Isle of Islay.

Austin, TX $4,160
Isle of Islay $3,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,354 on the Isle of Islay.

Austin, TX $5,622
Isle of Islay $4,354

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than on the Isle of Islay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Isle of Islay 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$21.60 £16.21

-4.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$81.4 £61.1

3.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.60 £7.95

13.87%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.48 £3.36

22.32%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.48 £1.86

53.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.32 £0.99

87.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.83 £4.37

38.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.01 £4.51

47.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.03 £1.52

-45.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.75 £1.32

112.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.74 £2.06

22.99%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.41 £4.06

-20.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.39 £5.54

77.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.52 £7.14

48.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.36 £11.53

6.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.50 £1.88

82.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.20 £1.65

-33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.82 £2.12

67.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.87 £2.15

44.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.06 £2.29

-15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.11 £1.58

11.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.86 £1.40

-4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.43 £1.82

-11.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$23.79 £17.85

-57.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.03 £9.03

26.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.26 £2.44

-13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.22 £2.41

6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.50 £2.62

-56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$98.1 £73.6

-58.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.75 £3.56

-41.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.79 £2.84

-57.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$26.58 £19.94

29.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.07 £1.55

-54.59%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$38.5K £28.9K

-11.81%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$40.4K £30.3K

-33.79%

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

$223 $223

$238 £178

-6.33%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$13.09 £9.82

349.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$42.21 £31.67

67.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$43.82 £32.88

31.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.44 £10.08

6.10%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,918 £1,439

-21.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.8K £18.6K

-15.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$100 £75.1

-48.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$57.6 £43.19

-23.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$121 £90.9

-28.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$87.1 £65.4

19.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,272 £955

52.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,039 £779

26.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,126 £1,595

72.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,449 £1,087

77.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$5,528 £4,147

33.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$3,409 £2,558

-8.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.41

25.51%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for the Isle of Islay: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Isle of Islay

$1K 44.2% 21.1% $277

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Isle of Islay

$334 14.2% 17.6% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Isle of Islay

$293 12.5% 16.8% $59

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Isle of Islay

$315 13.4% 10.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Isle of Islay

$165 7% 27.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Isle of Islay

$71 3% 18% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Isle of Islay

$136 5.8% 134% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,272 on the Isle of Islay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $81.0 on the Isle of Islay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $334 per month, with the Isle of Islay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Isle of Islay

🕒 Local time

11:26 11:26 AM

17:26 5:26 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,457

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Isle of Islay 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Isle of Islay

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 Isle of Islay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isle of Islay wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isle of Islay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,528 on the Isle of Islay 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,272 on the Isle of Islay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,352 on the Isle of Islay – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass on the Isle of Islay runs roughly 139% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,352 on the Isle of Islay versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic on the Isle of Islay but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Isle of Islay 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 Isle of Islay 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 Isle of Islay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.