Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kuruman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuruman: $1,125 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Kuruman
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Kuruman Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kuruman

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,125 in Kuruman.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kuruman $1,125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,692 in Kuruman.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kuruman $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,259 in Kuruman.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kuruman $2,259

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 137% more expensive than in Kuruman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kuruman is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.59 R 158

116.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$40.39 R 665

109.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.55 R 91.5

121.98%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.79 R 29.41

214.53%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.20 R 19.75

210.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.62 R 10.25

303.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.31 R 38.13

248.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.64 R 43.51

241.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.15 R 18.98

-2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.34 R 22.03

179.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.72 R 28.26

89.53%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.20 R 69.2

-0.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.33 R 137

54.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.07 R 83.6

179.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.41 R 122

118.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.78 R 29.28

143.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.68 R 27.67

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.82 R 30.04

147.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.67 R 27.54

159.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.52 R 25.03

69.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.41 R 23.18

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.17 R 19.24

52.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.15 R 18.92

93.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.53 R 58.2

179.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.92 R 81.0

206.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.38 R 22.75

111.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.85 R 30.56

87.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.36 R 22.39

9.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.62 R 10.26

340.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.97 R 15.96

71.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$13.36 R 220

164.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.53 R 25.15

-37.91%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.7K R 621.3K

-4.41%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.3K R 581.1K

-23.24%

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

$229 $229

$157 R 2,586

45.89%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$34.82 R 574

70.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$36.83 R 607

89.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$31.37 R 517

82.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.24 R 202

33.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$8.20 R 135

74.15%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$252 R 4,157

496.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,096 R 84.0K

321.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.8 R 870

-0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$29.03 R 478

50.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$101 R 1,656

-15.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$87.7 R 1,444

17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$343 R 5,648

456.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$376 R 6,190

239.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$841 R 13.9K

335.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$636 R 10.5K

299.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$782 R 12.9K

873.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$664 R 10.9K

375.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,074 R 17.7K

376.66%

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 Kuruman: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kuruman

$376 33.4% 70.5% $898

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kuruman

$202 18% 50.1% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kuruman

$229 20.3% 36.2% $130

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kuruman

$139 12.3% 60.7% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kuruman

$122 10.8% 5% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kuruman

$48 4.2% 44.3% $38

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kuruman

$11 * 1% 81.4% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $343 in Kuruman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 377% 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 $40.00 in Kuruman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $202 per month, with Kuruman cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇦 Kuruman

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

21:03 9:03 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

9,093

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Between locations

Austin, TX Kuruman 14,340 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kuruman

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 Kuruman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuruman wins on cost – living expenses run 137% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuruman the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 377% 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 $343 in Kuruman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $252 in Kuruman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuruman – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,125 in Kuruman versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuruman but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kuruman 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 Kuruman 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 Kuruman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.