Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kimberley

For one person, living is cheaper in Kimberley: $1,128 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Kimberley
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Kimberley Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kimberley

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,128 in Kimberley.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kimberley $1,128

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,905 in Kimberley.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kimberley $1,905

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,683 in Kimberley.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kimberley $2,683

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 136% more expensive than in Kimberley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kimberley is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.22 R 201

69.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$36.40 R 600

132.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.91 R 97.3

108.46%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.02 R 49.76

86.42%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.32 R 21.67

181.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.27 R 20.96

96.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.78 R 45.76

189.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.76 R 45.40

226.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.52 R 25.08

-26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.16 R 19.09

223.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.01 R 49.58

8.31%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.88 R 47.44

44.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.60 R 109

95.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.84 R 96.2

142.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.62 R 142

88.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.24 R 36.86

93.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.46 R 40.59

-40.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.76 R 29.02

156.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.33 R 54.9

30.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.47 R 24.20

75.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.42 R 23.42

65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.34 R 22.03

32.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.86 R 14.25

158.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.09 R 50.9

219.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.51 R 107

131.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.21 R 36.48

32.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.79 R 45.98

24.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.52 R 24.97

-1.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$33.35 R 549

25.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.58 R 9.57

370.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.88 R 14.57

88.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$11.59 R 191

204.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.39 R 22.88

-31.65%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.2K R 579.7K

2.46%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$31.7K R 522.0K

-14.55%

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

$229 $229

$105 R 1,734

117.59%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$34.81 R 573

70.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$42.50 R 700

64.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$22.96 R 378

149.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.87 R 179

50.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.27 R 120

96.42%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$242 R 3,985

522.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,516 R 90.9K

288.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.9 R 871

-0.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.01 R 544

32.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$98.7 R 1,626

-14.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$87.3 R 1,438

18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$266 R 4,378

617.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$332 R 5,472

283.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$640 R 10.5K

472.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$940 R 15.5K

169.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$888 R 14.6K

757.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$649 R 10.7K

386.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$935 R 15.4K

447.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.94

-37.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kimberley: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kimberley

$332 29.5% 73.9% $942

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kimberley

$228 20.2% 43.8% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kimberley

$183 16.2% 49% $176

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kimberley

$181 16.1% 48.7% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kimberley

$122 10.9% 4.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kimberley

$38 3.3% 56.3% $48

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kimberley

$44 3.9% 24.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $266 in Kimberley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 448% 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 $36.00 in Kimberley for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $228 per month, with Kimberley cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇦 Kimberley

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

11:12 11:12 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

225,160

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

ZAR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kimberley 14,510 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kimberley

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 Kimberley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kimberley wins on cost – living expenses run 136% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kimberley the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 448% 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 $266 in Kimberley. 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 $1,128 in Kimberley – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kimberley runs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,128 in Kimberley versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kimberley but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kimberley 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 Kimberley gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.