Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lapu-Lapu

For one person, living is cheaper in Lapu-Lapu: $845 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Lapu-Lapu
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Lapu-Lapu Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Lapu-Lapu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lapu-Lapu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $845 in Lapu-Lapu.

Austin, TX $2,663
Lapu-Lapu $845

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,195 in Lapu-Lapu.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lapu-Lapu $1,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,545 in Lapu-Lapu.

Austin, TX $5,603
Lapu-Lapu $1,545

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 215% more expensive than in Lapu-Lapu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Lapu-Lapu is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.95 ₱186

604.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$15.86 ₱998

433.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.90 ₱246

215.90%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.54 ₱160

121.65%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.58 ₱36.53

541.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.38 ₱23.93

557.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.29 ₱80.9

524.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.25 ₱142

300.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.76 ₱111

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.42 ₱89.2

164.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.94 ₱59.5

246.81%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.04 ₱129

104.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$5.68 ₱358

127.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.45 ₱280

218.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.71 ₱486

110.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.36 ₱211

28.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 ₱91.5

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.37 ₱149

90.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.54 ₱97.1

181.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.39 ₱151

7.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.98 ₱125

18.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.19 ₱75.2

49.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.68 ₱42.80

226.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.62 ₱102

509.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.07 ₱256

270.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.05 ₱65.9

178.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.51 ₱95.2

129.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.25 ₱15.81

496.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.74 ₱46.77

268.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.23 ₱14.51

621.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.90 ₱246

805.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.33 ₱83.4

-28.57%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

67.43%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$19.6K ₱1.2M

38.48%

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

$229 $229

$120 ₱7,559

90.71%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$13.99 ₱881

324.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$28.04 ₱1,765

149.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$12.62 ₱795

353.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.60 ₱353

155.00%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$103 ₱6,509

1356.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,848 ₱494.1K

173.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$47.78 ₱3,008

10.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.45 ₱1,603

72.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$23.86 ₱1,502

255.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$58.5 ₱3,683

76.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$437 ₱27.5K

336.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$317 ₱19.9K

302.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,214 ₱76.4K

201.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$473 ₱29.8K

436.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$229 ₱14.4K

2137.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.2

-5.69%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lapu-Lapu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Lapu-Lapu

$317 37.5% 75.2% $958

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Lapu-Lapu

$189 22.4% 53.2% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Lapu-Lapu

$162 19.2% 54.8% $196

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Lapu-Lapu

$81 9.5% 77.2% $273

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Lapu-Lapu

$70 8.3% 45.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lapu-Lapu

$24 2.8% 72.2% $62

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Lapu-Lapu

$2.9 * 0.3% 95.1% $56

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 $437 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2138% 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 $16.00 in Lapu-Lapu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $189 per month, with Lapu-Lapu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇭 Lapu-Lapu

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

03:51 3:51 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

497,604

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Lapu-Lapu 13,670 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lapu-Lapu

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 Lapu-Lapu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lapu-Lapu wins on cost – living expenses run 215% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lapu-Lapu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2138% 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 $437 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $103 in Lapu-Lapu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lapu-Lapu – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $845 in Lapu-Lapu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lapu-Lapu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lapu-Lapu 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 Lapu-Lapu 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 Lapu-Lapu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 215% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.