Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kitakyushu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitakyushu: $1,240 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Kitakyushu
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Kitakyushu Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,240

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,240 in Kitakyushu.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kitakyushu $1,240

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,919 in Kitakyushu.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kitakyushu $1,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,599 in Kitakyushu.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kitakyushu $2,599

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 115% more expensive than in Kitakyushu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kitakyushu is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.30 ¥1,153

184.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$33.63 ¥5,314

151.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.49 ¥868

124.41%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.32 ¥525

69.58%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.99 ¥157

275.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.75 ¥118

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.00 ¥475

168.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.20 ¥348

309.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.49 ¥236

-24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.32 ¥209

184.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$5.31 ¥839

-38.61%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.30 ¥363

81.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.46 ¥1,494

36.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.29 ¥835

167.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.56 ¥2,932

-12.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.71 ¥586

16.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.78 ¥282

-17.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.91 ¥459

54.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.88 ¥455

50.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.20 ¥347

17.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.53 ¥399

-7.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.06 ¥168

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.92 ¥145

141.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.97 ¥626

148.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.44 ¥1,017

134.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.72 ¥272

69.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.70 ¥269

103.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.65 ¥261

-9.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$53.2 ¥8,405

-21.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.91 ¥617

-30.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.09 ¥331

-20.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$17.98 ¥2,840

96.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.04 ¥164

-8.65%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.8K ¥3.3M

73.29%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.8K ¥2.8M

52.24%

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

$229 $229

$195 ¥30.9K

17.21%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$24.96 ¥3,944

137.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$32.31 ¥5,105

116.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.4 ¥8,126

11.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$3.22 ¥508

407.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.19 ¥1,768

27.61%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$371 ¥58.7K

305.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

73.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$49.57 ¥7,832

6.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.75 ¥4,069

70.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$66.4 ¥10.5K

27.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$54.8 ¥8,658

87.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$522 ¥82.5K

265.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$333 ¥52.6K

282.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,106 ¥174.7K

231.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$725 ¥114.6K

249.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,174 ¥659.5K

82.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,729 ¥273.1K

82.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,510 ¥238.5K

239.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

1.69

301.78%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kitakyushu

$333 26.9% 73.9% $941

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kitakyushu

$276 22.3% 31.7% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kitakyushu

$253 20.4% 29.5% $106

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kitakyushu

$141 11.4% 60.1% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kitakyushu

$88 7.1% 30.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kitakyushu

$74 6% 14% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kitakyushu

$74 6% 26.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $522 in Kitakyushu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 239% 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 $34.00 in Kitakyushu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $276 per month, with Kitakyushu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Kitakyushu

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

16:09 4:09 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

939,029

💱 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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Austin, TX Kitakyushu 11,240 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kitakyushu

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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kitakyushu wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kitakyushu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 239% 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 $522 in Kitakyushu. 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 $1,240 in Kitakyushu – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kitakyushu runs roughly 28% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,240 in Kitakyushu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kitakyushu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kitakyushu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kitakyushu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,240 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kitakyushu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Kitakyushu 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 Kitakyushu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.