Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kristiansund

For one person, living is cheaper in Kristiansund: $2,345 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Kristiansund
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Kristiansund Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kristiansund

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,345

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,345 in Kristiansund.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kristiansund $2,345

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,612 in Kristiansund.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kristiansund $3,612

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,878 in Kristiansund.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kristiansund $4,878

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 14% more expensive than in Kristiansund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Kristiansund 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$23.82 NOK 224

-12.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$118 NOK 1,110

-28.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$14.77 NOK 139

-16.59%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.08 NOK 47.85

10.83%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$4.57 NOK 43.03

-18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.51 NOK 33.02

-28.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$11.53 NOK 109

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$11.59 NOK 109

-22.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.46 NOK 23.17

-54.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.69 NOK 34.71

1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.84 NOK 36.13

-15.10%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.94 NOK 46.49

-15.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.18 NOK 124

-2.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$15.33 NOK 144

-7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$31.75 NOK 299

-48.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.38 NOK 31.84

28.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.55 NOK 24.02

-42.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.53 NOK 33.19

27.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.98 NOK 46.88

-12.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.61 NOK 24.58

-1.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.79 NOK 26.25

-15.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.00 NOK 28.28

-40.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.27 NOK 21.39

-2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$17.08 NOK 161

-42.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$16.21 NOK 153

-6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.34 NOK 31.45

-12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.29 NOK 40.40

-19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.71 NOK 44.36

-68.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$84.5 NOK 796

-50.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$11.76 NOK 111

-76.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.63 NOK 15.34

1.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$79.2 NOK 745

-55.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.41 NOK 22.67

-60.58%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$47.6K NOK 447.7K

-24.20%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$43.0K NOK 404.8K

-37.04%

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

$229 $229

$268 NOK 2,524

-14.60%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$29.72 NOK 280

99.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$53.7 NOK 505

30.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.28 NOK 370

45.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$28.82 NOK 271

-43.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$25.68 NOK 242

-44.39%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$238 NOK 2,240

532.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$13.1K NOK 123.7K

63.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$98.8 NOK 930

-46.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$56.6 NOK 532

-22.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$124 NOK 1,171

-31.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$154 NOK 1,450

-33.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$787 NOK 7,404

142.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$686 NOK 6,457

85.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,248 NOK 11.8K

193.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,062 NOK 9,999

138.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$6,005 NOK 56.5K

26.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$4,103 NOK 38.6K

-23.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,690 NOK 34.7K

38.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.94

37.45%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kristiansund: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kristiansund

$686 29.2% 46.2% $588

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kristiansund

$490 20.9% 21% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kristiansund

$352 15% 1.9% $6.7

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kristiansund

$409 17.4% 15.6% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kristiansund

$195 8.3% 52.5% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kristiansund

$91 3.9% 5.7% $4.8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kristiansund

$123 5.3% 110% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $787 in Kristiansund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 39% 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 $118 in Kristiansund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $490 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇴 Kristiansund

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

23:08 11:08 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

24,505

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

NOK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kristiansund 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kristiansund

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 Kristiansund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kristiansund wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kristiansund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% 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 $787 in Kristiansund. 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 $2,345 in Kristiansund – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kristiansund runs roughly 103% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,345 in Kristiansund versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kristiansund but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kristiansund 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Kristiansund 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 Kristiansund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.