Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kurume

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurume: $965 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Kurume
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Kurume Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kurume

🇯🇵 Japan

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $965 in Kurume.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kurume $965

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,529 in Kurume.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kurume $1,529

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,092 in Kurume.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kurume $2,092

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 176% more expensive than in Kurume, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kurume is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.43 ¥700

368.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$43.67 ¥6,900

93.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.81 ¥601

223.36%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.91 ¥302

194.76%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.66 ¥104

463.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.55 ¥86.2

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.20 ¥505

151.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.60 ¥252

463.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.25 ¥197

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.25 ¥197

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$5.13 ¥810

-36.45%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.88 ¥296

121.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$17.85 ¥2,821

-27.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.33 ¥841

165.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.13 ¥3,022

-15.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.70 ¥584

17.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.87 ¥296

-21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.89 ¥456

56.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.26 ¥515

33.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.13 ¥336

21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.63 ¥416

-10.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.06 ¥168

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.98 ¥154

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.64 ¥575

171.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.21 ¥981

142.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.64 ¥260

78.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.15 ¥181

200.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.51 ¥238

-1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$46.98 ¥7,423

-11.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.96 ¥626

-31.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.11 ¥333

-21.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$17.62 ¥2,784

100.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.60 ¥94.5

58.33%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

67.84%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.8K ¥2.8M

52.46%

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

$229 $229

$210 ¥33.1K

9.24%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$24.97 ¥3,944

137.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$22.59 ¥3,570

209.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$55.2 ¥8,724

3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.82 ¥1,078

109.38%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$127 ¥20.1K

1082.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.5K ¥2.0M

72.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$48.62 ¥7,682

8.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$12.36 ¥1,953

254.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$24.78 ¥3,915

242.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$31.02 ¥4,901

232.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$531 ¥83.9K

259.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$126 ¥20.0K

907.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$468 ¥73.9K

683.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$315 ¥49.8K

706.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,267 ¥674.1K

78.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,883 ¥297.4K

67.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,537 ¥242.8K

233.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

1.97

244.67%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kurume: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kurume

$126 13.1% 90.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kurume

$299 30.9% 26.2% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kurume

$257 26.7% 28.2% $101

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kurume

$94 9.7% 73.5% $260

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kurume

$53 5.5% 58.9% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kurume

$69 7.1% 19.7% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kurume

$68 7% 15% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $531 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 233% 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 $44.00 in Kurume for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $299 per month, with Kurume cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Kurume

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

15:26 3:26 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

303,316

💱 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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Between locations

Austin, TX Kurume 11,310 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kurume

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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurume wins on cost – living expenses run 176% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kurume the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 233% 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 $531 in Kurume. 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 $965 in Kurume – a 176% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kurume runs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $965 in Kurume versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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.

Expats usually find Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.