Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kagoshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,133 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Kagoshima
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Kagoshima Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,133 in Kagoshima.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kagoshima $1,133

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,887 in Kagoshima.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kagoshima $1,887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,641 in Kagoshima.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kagoshima $2,641

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 135% more expensive than in Kagoshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kagoshima is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.46 ¥1,020

221.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$32.45 ¥5,127

160.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.42 ¥856

127.31%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.91 ¥459

93.47%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.01 ¥159

268.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.75 ¥118

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.51 ¥396

220.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.18 ¥344

313.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.36 ¥216

-17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.14 ¥180

228.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$5.13 ¥811

-36.45%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.06 ¥325

102.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$18.48 ¥2,919

-30.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.47 ¥863

158.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.94 ¥2,993

-14.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.67 ¥580

17.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.85 ¥293

-21.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.78 ¥439

62.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.31 ¥523

31.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.05 ¥324

25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.83 ¥290

28.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.06 ¥168

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.80 ¥126

177.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.88 ¥613

154.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.90 ¥932

155.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.14 ¥180

156.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.89 ¥298

83.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.27 ¥201

17.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$53.8 ¥8,497

-22.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.00 ¥631

-31.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.03 ¥321

-18.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$11.27 ¥1,780

213.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.05 ¥166

-9.52%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

65.23%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.5K ¥2.8M

54.58%

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

$229 $229

$189 ¥29.8K

21.31%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$24.87 ¥3,928

138.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$30.44 ¥4,809

129.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.3 ¥8,107

11.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.81 ¥1,865

20.91%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$124 ¥19.5K

1116.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.3K ¥1.9M

74.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$49.61 ¥7,838

6.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.70 ¥4,060

70.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$63.6 ¥10.0K

33.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$75.9 ¥12.0K

35.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$541 ¥85.5K

252.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$222 ¥35.1K

473.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,015 ¥160.3K

261.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$748 ¥118.2K

239.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,824 ¥604.2K

99.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,821 ¥287.8K

73.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,831 ¥289.3K

179.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

1.97

244.67%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kagoshima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kagoshima

$222 19.6% 82.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kagoshima

$295 26.1% 27% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kagoshima

$244 21.5% 31.9% $114

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kagoshima

$127 11.2% 64.2% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kagoshima

$97 8.5% 24.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kagoshima

$75 6.6% 12.7% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kagoshima

$73 6.5% 24.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $541 in Kagoshima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 180% 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 $32.00 in Kagoshima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $295 per month, with Kagoshima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Kagoshima

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

14:04 2:04 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

593,128

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

JPY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kagoshima 11,450 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kagoshima

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 Kagoshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kagoshima wins on cost – living expenses run 135% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kagoshima the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 180% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $541 in Kagoshima. 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 $1,133 in Kagoshima – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kagoshima runs roughly 29% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,133 in Kagoshima versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kagoshima but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kagoshima 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 Kagoshima 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 Kagoshima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.