Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kalmar

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalmar: $1,907 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Kalmar
Learn more

Kalmar Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kalmar

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,907 in Kalmar.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kalmar $1,907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,844 in Kalmar.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kalmar $2,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,781 in Kalmar.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kalmar $3,781

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 40% more expensive than in Kalmar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Kalmar 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$14.70 SEK 146

41.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$71.0 SEK 704

19.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.27 SEK 102

19.96%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.65 SEK 46.09

21.08%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.82 SEK 27.99

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.59 SEK 25.71

-3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.03 SEK 69.7

28.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.47 SEK 14.61

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.01 SEK 29.83

24.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.92 SEK 28.97

11.64%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.59 SEK 45.43

-9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$16.24 SEK 161

-20.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.97 SEK 109

29.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$21.76 SEK 216

-25.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.46 SEK 24.38

76.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.63 SEK 26.06

-44.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.40 SEK 33.69

32.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.27 SEK 42.33

1.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.63 SEK 16.12

58.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.30 SEK 22.82

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.84 SEK 18.19

-3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.66 SEK 16.43

33.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.97 SEK 79.0

23.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.19 SEK 91.1

64.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.96 SEK 19.44

48.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.51 SEK 24.87

37.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.33 SEK 33.01

-55.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$76.6 SEK 759

-45.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$9.70 SEK 96.1

-71.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.66 SEK 16.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$46.98 SEK 466

-24.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.70 SEK 16.81

-44.12%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.9K SEK 296.3K

20.56%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$28.7K SEK 284.4K

-5.67%

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

$229 $229

$142 SEK 1,403

61.74%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$26.84 SEK 266

121.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.79 SEK 315

119.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$30.76 SEK 305

86.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$26.42 SEK 262

-38.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.67 SEK 145

-2.66%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$138 SEK 1,367

991.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,914 SEK 48.7K

336.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$50.5 SEK 501

4.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$42.32 SEK 419

3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$79.8 SEK 791

6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$101 SEK 998

2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$914 SEK 9,056

108.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$751 SEK 7,440

69.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,294 SEK 12.8K

183.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

129.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,041 SEK 40.0K

88.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,682 SEK 26.6K

17.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,878 SEK 28.5K

77.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.93

72.77%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kalmar

$751 39.4% 41.1% $523

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kalmar

$377 19.8% 6.9% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kalmar

$200 10.5% 44.1% $158

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kalmar

$288 15.1% 18.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kalmar

$123 6.5% 3.9% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kalmar

$60 3.2% 29.9% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kalmar

$108 5.7% 83.9% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $914 in Kalmar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 78% 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 $71.0 in Kalmar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $377 per month, with Kalmar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇪 Kalmar

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

06:28 6:28 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

35,170

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

SEK to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kalmar 8,550 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kalmar

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 Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalmar wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kalmar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 78% 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 $914 in Kalmar. 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 $1,907 in Kalmar – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kalmar runs roughly 84% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,907 in Kalmar versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kalmar but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kalmar 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 Kalmar 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 Kalmar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.