Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kauai, Hawaii

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Kauai, Hawaii: $2,607 and $2,605 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Kauai, Hawaii
Learn more

Kauai, Hawaii Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kauai, Hawaii

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,605 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Austin, TX $2,607
Kauai, Hawaii $2,605

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,851 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Austin, TX $4,031
Kauai, Hawaii $3,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,097 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Austin, TX $5,454
Kauai, Hawaii $5,097

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Kauai, Hawaii; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Kauai, Hawaii 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.36 $19.36

5.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$75.8 $75.8

11.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.98 $10.98

10.38%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.95 $4.95

14.14%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.53 $2.53

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.95 $1.95

21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.07 $6.07

29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.97 $6.97

26.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.99 $0.99

15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.48 $3.48

6.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.27 $4.27

-22.48%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.09 $4.09

1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.44 $12.44

4.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.49 $11.49

20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.60 $15.60

4.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.77 $4.77

-1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.61 $1.61

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.35 $4.35

17.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.59 $4.59

-1.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.87 $2.87

7.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.89 $2.89

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.00 $2.00

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.17 $2.17

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.47 $9.47

5.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.83 $13.83

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.77 $1.77

64.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.44 $3.44

-3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.06 $2.06

-40.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$55.5 $55.5

-26.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.54 $3.54

-21.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.57 $1.57

5.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.13 $29.13

21.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.84 $0.84

13.10%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.3K $29.3K

16.79%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.20%

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

$223 $223

$185 $185

20.76%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$53.9 $53.9

8.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$68.1 $68.1

4.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$43.26 $43.26

22.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.53 $13.53

3.92%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,282 $1,282

13.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.1K $23.1K

-7.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$50.1 $50.1

4.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$39.37 $39.37

8.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$85.0 $85.0

1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$112 $112

-7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,605 $1,605

31.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,329 $1,329

-7.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,647 $2,647

45.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,266 $2,266

6.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,817 $2,817

163.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,482 $2,482

23.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.51

4.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kauai, Hawaii: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Kauai, Hawaii

$1.3K 51% 8% $98

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Kauai, Hawaii

$385 14.8% 5.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Kauai, Hawaii

$307 11.8% 13.1% $46

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Kauai, Hawaii

$309 11.9% 11.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Kauai, Hawaii

$129 5% 0.5% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Kauai, Hawaii

$70 2.7% 13.4% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Kauai, Hawaii

$75 2.9% 33% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $76 in Kauai, Hawaii for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $385 per month, with Kauai, Hawaii cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Kauai, Hawaii

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

04:12 4:12 AM

5 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

73,610

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kauai, Hawaii 6,160 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kauai, Hawaii

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 Kauai, Hawaii: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,907 in Kauai, Hawaii to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,282 in Kauai, Hawaii. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kauai, Hawaii – a meal for two runs $76 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kauai, Hawaii 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.