Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kailua, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $4,083 in Kailua, HI, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
198

Cost of Living Index in Kailua, HI
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Kailua, HI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kailua, HI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $4,083 in Kailua, HI.

Austin, TX $2,689
Kailua, HI $4,083

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $6,047 in Kailua, HI.

Austin, TX $4,112
Kailua, HI $6,047

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $8,011 in Kailua, HI.

Austin, TX $5,534
Kailua, HI $8,011

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 34% less than in Kailua, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Kailua, HI 202% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$27.34 $27.34

-21.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$139 $139

-36.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.30 $11.30

10.09%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.15 $6.15

-8.94%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.93 $2.93

24.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$9.27 $9.27

-15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$9.24 $9.24

-5.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.20 $2.20

-49.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$7.29 $7.29

-50.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$7.79 $7.79

-55.07%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$8.22 $8.22

-45.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$19.21 $19.21

-31.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$16.23 $16.23

-14.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$21.84 $21.84

-24.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$7.72 $7.72

-38.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$4.40 $4.40

-65.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$7.11 $7.11

-34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$9.67 $9.67

-53.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.77 $3.77

-32.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$4.78 $4.78

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$4.51 $4.51

-59.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.16 $3.16

-32.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$12.94 $12.94

-22.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.74 $16.74

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.66 $2.66

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.04 $2.04

61.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$3.98 $3.98

-69.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$90.5 $90.5

-54.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.49 $3.49

-23.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.65 $2.65

-38.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$44.72 $44.72

-21.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.28 $1.28

-23.44%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$35.1K $35.1K

-1.96%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.67%

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

$252 $252

$248 $248

1.68%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$50.3 $50.3

18.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$65.8 $65.8

5.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$70.2 $70.2

-14.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$40.36 $40.36

-55.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$18.85 $18.85

-27.06%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$2,142 $2,142

-31.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.4K $27.4K

-3.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$61.6 $61.6

-14.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$46.91 $46.91

-2.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$101 $101

-14.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$130 $130

-18.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$2,798 $2,798

-21.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$2,290 $2,290

-44.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$4,185 $4,185

-4.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$3,745 $3,745

-35.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$12.3K $12.3K

-40.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$9,901 $9,901

-70.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$4,744 $4,744

6.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.79

0.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kailua, HI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Kailua, HI

$2.3K 56.1% 80.5% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Kailua, HI

$633 15.5% 55.3% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Kailua, HI

$364 8.9% 4.6% $18

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Kailua, HI

$413 10.1% 15.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Kailua, HI

$152 3.7% 17% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6% 22.8% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Kailua, HI

$123 3% 115% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $2,798 in Kailua, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $139 in Kailua, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $633 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

13:28 1:28 PM

4 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

11,975

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kailua, HI 5,930 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kailua, HI

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 Kailua, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Kailua, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $2,798 in Kailua, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $4,083 in Kailua, HI – Austin, TX is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in Kailua, HI. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Kailua, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.