Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kanazawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kanazawa: $1,304 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Kanazawa
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Kanazawa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kanazawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,304 in Kanazawa.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kanazawa $1,304

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,052 in Kanazawa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kanazawa $2,052

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,800 in Kanazawa.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kanazawa $2,800

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 104% more expensive than in Kanazawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kanazawa is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.44 ¥1,175

179.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.25 ¥4,937

170.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.99 ¥788

146.89%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.38 ¥377

136.55%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.13 ¥178

229.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.58 ¥92.2

331.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.01 ¥318

300.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.27 ¥359

296.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.56 ¥247

-28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.33 ¥210

181.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$5.52 ¥873

-40.94%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.02 ¥320

106.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.81 ¥2,024

0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.52 ¥1,505

48.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$32.49 ¥5,132

-50.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.69 ¥584

17.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.32 ¥366

-37.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$6.14 ¥970

-26.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.15 ¥655

4.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.68 ¥582

-29.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.43 ¥542

-31.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.28 ¥202

39.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.96 ¥151

131.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.43 ¥542

188.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.96 ¥1,257

89.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.95 ¥308

49.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.52 ¥240

127.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.52 ¥240

-1.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$54.2 ¥8,568

-23.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.08 ¥487

-11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.11 ¥491

-46.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$26.94 ¥4,257

31.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.05 ¥167

-9.52%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.1K ¥3.2M

79.19%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$16.4K ¥2.6M

65.13%

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

$229 $229

$146 ¥23.1K

56.41%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.56 ¥3,722

152.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$42.65 ¥6,738

63.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$42.05 ¥6,644

36.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.47 ¥1,812

24.50%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$318 ¥50.2K

373.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,093 ¥962.6K

252.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$49.09 ¥7,756

7.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$24.98 ¥3,947

75.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$46.39 ¥7,329

82.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$64.3 ¥10.2K

60.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$454 ¥71.8K

319.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$356 ¥56.2K

258.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,004 ¥158.6K

264.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$767 ¥121.2K

230.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,757 ¥751.5K

60.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,885 ¥297.9K

67.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,869 ¥295.3K

173.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.28

197.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kanazawa: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kanazawa

$356 27.3% 72.1% $918

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kanazawa

$384 29.4% 5.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kanazawa

$213 16.3% 40.7% $146

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kanazawa

$125 9.6% 64.8% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kanazawa

$83 6.4% 35% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kanazawa

$65 5% 24.2% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kanazawa

$79 6.1% 34.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $454 in Kanazawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 174% 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 $31.00 in Kanazawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $384 per month, with Kanazawa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Kanazawa

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

465,699

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Austin, TX Kanazawa 10,670 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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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 Kanazawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kanazawa wins on cost – living expenses run 104% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kanazawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 174% 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 $454 in Kanazawa. 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 $1,304 in Kanazawa – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kanazawa runs roughly 30% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,304 in Kanazawa versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kanazawa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kanazawa 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 Kanazawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.