Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jimma

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,057 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,057 in Jimma.

Austin, TX $2,704
Jimma $1,057

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,424 in Jimma.

Austin, TX $4,133
Jimma $1,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,792 in Jimma.

Austin, TX $5,562
Jimma $1,792

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 156% more expensive than in Jimma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Jimma is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$4.65 ETB 747

334.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.17 ETB 188

367.52%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.59 ETB 95.2

547.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.44 ETB 70.0

468.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.81 ETB 452

186.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.43 ETB 230

528.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.15 ETB 185

-1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.36 ETB 58.1

950.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.12 ETB 180

190.18%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.02 ETB 646

2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$11.49 ETB 1,847

24.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.42 ETB 1,835

39.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.30 ETB 370

90.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.12 ETB 180

29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.45 ETB 555

31.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.58 ETB 93.8

622.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.55 ETB 87.7

378.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.35 ETB 538

-29.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.58 ETB 93.7

272.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$6.63 ETB 1,065

122.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.16 ETB 187

139.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.45 ETB 234

140.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.22 ETB 35.27

577.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$13.38 ETB 2,150

202.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$1.72 ETB 276

1951.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.74 ETB 279

-43.10%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$51.2K ETB 8.2M

-30.13%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$58.0K ETB 9.3M

-53.11%

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

$219 $219

$63.4 ETB 10.2K

245.63%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$36.28 ETB 5,829

59.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$313 ETB 50.3K

-78.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$34.06 ETB 5,474

69.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$92.7 ETB 14.9K

-52.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$139 ETB 22.3K

-38.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$115 ETB 18.5K

-8.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$208 ETB 33.4K

830.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$160 ETB 25.7K

695.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$415 ETB 66.7K

784.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$310 ETB 49.9K

713.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,229 ETB 358.2K

241.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,117 ETB 179.4K

186.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$227 ETB 36.5K

2148.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-24.56%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jimma: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Jimma

–

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Jimma

–

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Jimma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Jimma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Jimma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Jimma

–

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Jimma

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $208 in Jimma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2148% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇹 Jimma

🕒 Local time

23:59 11:59 PM

07:59 7:59 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

207,573

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

ETB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Jimma 13,590 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Jimma

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 Jimma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jimma wins on cost – living expenses run 156% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jimma the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2148% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $208 in Jimma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,057 in Jimma – a 156% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,057 in Jimma versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jimma but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jimma 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 Jimma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.