Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kawagoe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawagoe: $1,084 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Kawagoe
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Kawagoe Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kawagoe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,084

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,084 in Kawagoe.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kawagoe $1,084

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,747 in Kawagoe.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kawagoe $1,747

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,409 in Kawagoe.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kawagoe $2,409

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 146% more expensive than in Kawagoe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kawagoe is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.38 ¥1,008

225.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$40.89 ¥6,460

106.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.02 ¥793

145.42%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.41 ¥539

65.10%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.93 ¥146

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.49 ¥78.0

410.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.92 ¥304

319.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.64 ¥417

241.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.16 ¥183

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.29 ¥203

190.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.59 ¥566

-9.19%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.02 ¥320

106.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.14 ¥970

110.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.24 ¥987

126.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.67 ¥2,318

10.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.61 ¥887

-22.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.30 ¥364

-36.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.81 ¥445

60.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.11 ¥492

39.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.55 ¥403

1.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.87 ¥296

25.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.30 ¥206

36.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.74 ¥117

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.86 ¥609

155.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.87 ¥770

209.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.74 ¥275

67.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.03 ¥320

70.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.98 ¥471

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$53.7 ¥8,488

-22.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.19 ¥504

-14.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.73 ¥431

-39.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.42 ¥3,226

72.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 ¥175

-14.41%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$15.7K ¥2.5M

129.18%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$12.9K ¥2.0M

110.42%

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

$229 $229

$131 ¥20.7K

74.95%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$22.38 ¥3,536

165.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.77 ¥5,020

120.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$43.88 ¥6,932

30.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$32.08 ¥5,068

-49.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.12 ¥1,757

28.42%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$315 ¥49.8K

378.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,305 ¥996.1K

240.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$31.87 ¥5,035

65.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.30 ¥5,261

31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$43.84 ¥6,926

93.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$96.3 ¥15.2K

7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$417 ¥65.8K

357.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$273 ¥43.1K

366.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$844 ¥133.4K

334.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$594 ¥93.8K

327.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,561 ¥404.5K

197.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,760 ¥278.0K

79.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,614 ¥255.0K

217.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

1.6

324.37%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kawagoe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kawagoe

$273 25.2% 78.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kawagoe

$257 23.7% 36.4% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kawagoe

$185 17.1% 48.4% $173

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kawagoe

$128 11.8% 63.9% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kawagoe

$92 8.5% 27.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kawagoe

$66 6.1% 22.9% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kawagoe

$83 7.6% 40.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $417 in Kawagoe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 217% 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 $41.00 in Kawagoe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $257 per month, with Kawagoe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Kawagoe

🕒 Local time

20:28 8:28 PM

10:28 10:28 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

350,745

💱 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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Between locations

Austin, TX Kawagoe 10,540 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kawagoe

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 Kawagoe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawagoe wins on cost – living expenses run 146% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kawagoe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 217% 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 $417 in Kawagoe. 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 $1,084 in Kawagoe – a 146% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kawagoe runs roughly 29% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,084 in Kawagoe versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kawagoe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,084 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kawagoe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.