Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jeffreys Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeffreys Bay: $1,027 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Jeffreys Bay
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Jeffreys Bay Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Jeffreys Bay

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,027

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Jeffreys Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,027 in Jeffreys Bay.

Austin, TX $2,663
Jeffreys Bay $1,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,601 in Jeffreys Bay.

Austin, TX $4,133
Jeffreys Bay $1,601

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,175 in Jeffreys Bay.

Austin, TX $5,603
Jeffreys Bay $2,175

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 159% more expensive than in Jeffreys Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Jeffreys Bay is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.49 R 123

177.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$27.21 R 448

210.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.79 R 95.3

112.78%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.76 R 28.97

219.89%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.79 R 12.93

370.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.68 R 11.15

267.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.93 R 31.87

317.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.93 R 31.87

366.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.16 R 19.09

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.04 R 17.21

260.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.49 R 24.63

118.79%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.78 R 45.74

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.50 R 107

98.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.03 R 82.9

181.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.72 R 127

110.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.01 R 33.05

115.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.48 R 24.46

-1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.63 R 26.89

176.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.73 R 28.44

150.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.65 R 27.14

56.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.22 R 20.14

92.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.23 R 20.32

44.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.99 R 16.27

124.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.28 R 54.0

201.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$3.86 R 63.6

290.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.22 R 20.06

139.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.80 R 29.65

92.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.53 R 25.29

-2.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.63 R 10.33

333.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.47 R 7.71

253.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.62 R 142

309.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.37 R 22.53

-30.66%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.4K R 353.1K

68.21%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.3K R 285.1K

56.43%

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

$229 $229

$122 R 2,017

87.01%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$34.24 R 564

73.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$44.08 R 726

58.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$32.15 R 530

78.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$5.90 R 97.2

176.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$2.98 R 49.07

379.19%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$137 R 2,255

1000.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,025 R 99.3K

256.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$71.5 R 1,178

-26.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.23 R 630

14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$113 R 1,856

-24.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$96.6 R 1,591

6.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$383 R 6,317

397.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$335 R 5,520

280.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$732 R 12.1K

400.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$717 R 11.8K

253.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$861 R 14.2K

784.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$644 R 10.6K

390.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.94

-43.13%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jeffreys Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Jeffreys Bay

$335 32.6% 73.7% $939

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Jeffreys Bay

$183 17.8% 54.9% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Jeffreys Bay

$201 19.6% 44% $158

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Jeffreys Bay

$118 11.5% 66.7% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Jeffreys Bay

$144 14% 12.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Jeffreys Bay

$38 3.7% 55.6% $48

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Jeffreys Bay

$9.1 * 0.9% 84.5% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $383 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $27.00 in Jeffreys Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $183 per month, with Jeffreys Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇦 Jeffreys Bay

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

14:30 2:30 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

27,107

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

ZAR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Jeffreys Bay 14,670 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Jeffreys Bay

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 Jeffreys Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeffreys Bay wins on cost – living expenses run 159% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jeffreys Bay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,540 in Jeffreys Bay 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 $383 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $137 in Jeffreys Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jeffreys Bay – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,027 in Jeffreys Bay versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeffreys Bay but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.