Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kawasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawasaki: $1,481 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
72

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
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Kawasaki Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,481

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,481 in Kawasaki.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kawasaki $1,481

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,245 in Kawasaki.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kawasaki $2,245

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,009 in Kawasaki.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kawasaki $3,009

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 80% more expensive than in Kawasaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Kawasaki 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.72 ¥1,220

169.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$37.50 ¥5,924

125.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.02 ¥793

145.42%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.69 ¥426

109.29%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.59 ¥251

133.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.87 ¥137

187.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.22 ¥509

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.06 ¥484

194.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.52 ¥241

-26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.55 ¥244

141.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.23 ¥669

-22.93%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.11 ¥333

97.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.09 ¥1,751

16.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.63 ¥1,047

113.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.37 ¥2,587

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.27 ¥991

-30.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.71 ¥428

-46.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.95 ¥783

-8.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.33 ¥842

-18.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.27 ¥517

-21.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.06 ¥483

-23.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.14 ¥179

56.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.82 ¥130

170.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.83 ¥605

157.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.39 ¥1,483

60.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.39 ¥377

22.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.71 ¥429

27.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.90 ¥300

-21.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$51.1 ¥8,072

-18.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.07 ¥485

-11.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.06 ¥484

-45.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$18.85 ¥2,978

87.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 ¥167

-10.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$22.0K ¥3.5M

63.93%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

75.90%

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

$229 $229

$124 ¥19.6K

84.71%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.61 ¥3,729

151.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$30.45 ¥4,810

129.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$54.2 ¥8,560

5.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.22 ¥982

162.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.18 ¥1,925

17.24%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$568 ¥89.8K

165.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

48.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$50.1 ¥7,914

5.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.45 ¥5,285

31.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$64.4 ¥10.2K

31.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$70.9 ¥11.2K

45.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$754 ¥119.2K

152.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$576 ¥90.9K

121.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,281 ¥202.4K

186.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,021 ¥161.2K

148.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,698 ¥742.2K

62.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,131 ¥494.7K

0.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,542 ¥401.6K

101.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.02

236.14%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kawasaki: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kawasaki

$576 38.9% 54.8% $698

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kawasaki

$332 22.4% 17.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kawasaki

$178 12% 50.3% $180

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kawasaki

$141 9.5% 60.1% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kawasaki

$98 6.7% 23.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kawasaki

$79 5.3% 8.5% $7.3

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kawasaki

$77 5.2% 31.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $754 in Kawasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 101% 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 $37.00 in Kawasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $332 per month, with Kawasaki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

11:52 11:52 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,538,262

💱 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 Kawasaki 10,550 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kawasaki

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 Kawasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawasaki wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kawasaki the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 101% 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 $754 in Kawasaki. 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 $1,481 in Kawasaki – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kawasaki runs roughly 22% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,481 in Kawasaki versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kawasaki but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kawasaki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kawasaki delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,481 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kawasaki hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kawasaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.