Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kobe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kobe: $1,381 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Kobe
Learn more

Kobe Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kobe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,381 in Kobe.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kobe $1,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,056 in Kobe.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kobe $2,056

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,732 in Kobe.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kobe $2,732

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 93% more expensive than in Kobe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Kobe 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.75 ¥1,224

168.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$30.99 ¥4,896

172.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.76 ¥752

158.82%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.34 ¥370

140.60%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.14 ¥180

226.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.62 ¥97.6

303.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.05 ¥324

292.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.33 ¥369

286.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.53 ¥242

-26.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.25 ¥198

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.19 ¥662

-22.20%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.00 ¥317

108.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.57 ¥1,985

2.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.06 ¥1,115

100.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.20 ¥2,717

-5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$7.99 ¥1,263

-45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.94 ¥464

-50.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.09 ¥804

-11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$7.64 ¥1,208

-43.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.86 ¥610

-33.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.37 ¥533

-30.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.18 ¥186

50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.88 ¥140

152.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.40 ¥538

190.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.29 ¥1,309

81.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.96 ¥310

48.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.50 ¥237

130.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.47 ¥232

1.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$64.1 ¥10.1K

-34.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.17 ¥501

-13.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.17 ¥501

-47.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$26.12 ¥4,127

35.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.10 ¥173

-13.64%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.1K ¥3.2M

79.06%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

75.08%

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

$229 $229

$143 ¥22.6K

60.39%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.62 ¥3,732

151.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.28 ¥4,942

123.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.38 ¥7,170

26.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.47 ¥1,813

42.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.46 ¥1,810

24.61%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$317 ¥50.0K

375.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,099 ¥963.6K

251.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$49.73 ¥7,857

6.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.25 ¥3,988

73.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$46.07 ¥7,279

84.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$64.8 ¥10.2K

58.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$683 ¥107.8K

179.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$459 ¥72.5K

177.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,057 ¥166.9K

246.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$741 ¥117.1K

242.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,263 ¥673.4K

78.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,821 ¥445.7K

11.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,962 ¥310.0K

161.00%

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 Kobe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kobe

$459 33.3% 64% $815

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kobe

$356 25.8% 11.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kobe

$198 14.3% 44.8% $161

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kobe

$126 9.2% 64.3% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kobe

$84 6.1% 34.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kobe

$68 5% 20.4% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kobe

$89 6.5% 51.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $683 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 161% 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 $31.00 in Kobe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $356 per month, with Kobe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Kobe

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

15:43 3:43 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,537,272

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kobe 10,910 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kobe

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 Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 161% 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 $683 in Kobe. 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 $1,381 in Kobe – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kobe runs roughly 54% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,381 in Kobe versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kobe but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kobe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,381 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Kobe 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 Kobe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.