Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kashiwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kashiwa: $1,230 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Kashiwa
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Kashiwa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kashiwa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,230 in Kashiwa.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kashiwa $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,857 in Kashiwa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kashiwa $1,857

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,484 in Kashiwa.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kashiwa $2,484

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 117% more expensive than in Kashiwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kashiwa is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.44 ¥1,018

222.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$24.90 ¥3,933

239.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.13 ¥811

140.16%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.46 ¥546

62.72%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.69 ¥108

439.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.79 ¥125

216.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.47 ¥391

225.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.13 ¥494

187.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.22 ¥193

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.13 ¥179

231.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.59 ¥567

-9.19%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.86 ¥293

124.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.39 ¥1,010

101.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.06 ¥958

133.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.37 ¥1,480

73.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.66 ¥893

-23.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.71 ¥428

-46.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.94 ¥465

53.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.09 ¥646

6.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.49 ¥394

3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.64 ¥417

-10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.60 ¥95.4

196.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.61 ¥96.6

263.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.88 ¥614

154.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.35 ¥1,003

137.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.80 ¥284

62.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.91 ¥301

81.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.44 ¥228

3.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$53.4 ¥8,439

-21.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.10 ¥490

-11.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.56 ¥246

6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.60 ¥3,255

71.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.00 ¥159

-5.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

66.59%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.5K ¥2.9M

46.56%

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

$229 $229

$127 ¥20.1K

80.25%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$24.24 ¥3,830

145.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.65 ¥5,000

120.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$52.9 ¥8,356

8.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.83 ¥2,027

11.30%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$628 ¥99.2K

139.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.7K ¥2.3M

46.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$62.1 ¥9,813

-14.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$37.38 ¥5,906

17.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$61.5 ¥9,714

37.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$101 ¥15.9K

2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$523 ¥82.6K

264.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$400 ¥63.2K

218.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,123 ¥177.5K

226.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$743 ¥117.5K

241.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,183 ¥660.9K

82.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,934 ¥305.5K

63.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,653 ¥419.2K

92.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.64

157.20%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kashiwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kashiwa

$400 32.5% 68.6% $874

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kashiwa

$248 20.1% 38.8% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kashiwa

$183 14.9% 48.9% $175

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kashiwa

$133 10.8% 62.4% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kashiwa

$118 9.6% 8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kashiwa

$79 6.4% 8.4% $7.2

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kashiwa

$70 5.7% 19.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $523 in Kashiwa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 93% 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 $25.00 in Kashiwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $248 per month, with Kashiwa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Kashiwa

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

06:12 6:12 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

417,394

💱 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 Kashiwa 10,510 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kashiwa

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 Kashiwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kashiwa wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kashiwa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 93% 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 $523 in Kashiwa. 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 $1,230 in Kashiwa – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kashiwa runs roughly 28% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,230 in Kashiwa versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kashiwa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kashiwa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kashiwa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,230 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kashiwa hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kashiwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.