Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kista

For one person, living is cheaper in Kista: $1,726 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Kista
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Kista Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kista

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,726 in Kista.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kista $1,726

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,685 in Kista.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kista $2,685

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,644 in Kista.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kista $3,644

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 54% more expensive than in Kista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Kista 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.98 SEK 129

60.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$75.9 SEK 752

11.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.22 SEK 101

20.55%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.44 SEK 44.02

26.80%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.59 SEK 25.65

43.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.20 SEK 21.83

13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.07 SEK 70.1

13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.28 SEK 72.1

23.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.64 SEK 16.27

-31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.69 SEK 26.68

39.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.51 SEK 34.75

-7.12%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.24 SEK 42.04

-1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.67 SEK 116

10.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.62 SEK 115

21.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.38 SEK 172

-6.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.05 SEK 30.22

41.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.48 SEK 24.53

-41.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.89 SEK 28.60

56.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.30 SEK 42.59

0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.62 SEK 16.01

59.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.56 SEK 15.49

50.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.28 SEK 22.56

-21.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.45 SEK 14.33

53.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.22 SEK 71.6

36.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.69 SEK 96.0

55.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.95 SEK 19.29

49.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.13 SEK 21.15

62.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.27 SEK 32.41

-54.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$76.2 SEK 755

-45.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$6.01 SEK 59.5

-54.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.71 SEK 16.99

-2.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$58.4 SEK 579

-39.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.79 SEK 17.70

-46.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$32.5K SEK 322.2K

10.87%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.1K SEK 327.9K

-18.19%

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

$229 $229

$102 SEK 1,013

124.04%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.99 SEK 238

147.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$37.81 SEK 375

84.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.48 SEK 371

52.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$25.74 SEK 255

-36.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$16.18 SEK 160

-11.74%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$154 SEK 1,522

880.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,003 SEK 49.6K

328.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$90.7 SEK 898

-41.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$40.01 SEK 396

9.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$89.3 SEK 885

-5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$140 SEK 1,383

-26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$795 SEK 7,877

139.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$619 SEK 6,131

105.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,317 SEK 13.0K

178.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,016 SEK 10.1K

149.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,969 SEK 39.3K

91.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,749 SEK 27.2K

14.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.45

96.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kista: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kista

$619 35.9% 51.4% $655

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kista

$351 20.3% 13.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kista

$164 9.5% 54.2% $194

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kista

$257 14.9% 27.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kista

$162 9.4% 26.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kista

$70 4.1% 18.6% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kista

$104 6% 77% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $795 in Kista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $76.0 in Kista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $351 per month, with Kista cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇪 Kista

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

05:29 5:29 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,254

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

SEK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kista 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kista

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 Kista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kista wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kista the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,589 in Kista 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $795 in Kista. 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 $1,726 in Kista – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kista runs roughly 83% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,726 in Kista versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kista but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kista the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kista delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,726 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kista hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Kista 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 Kista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.