Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Levin

For one person, living is cheaper in Levin: $1,859 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Levin
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,859
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,859 in Levin.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Levin $1,859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,784 in Levin.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Levin $2,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,710 in Levin.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Levin $3,710

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 43% more expensive than in Levin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Levin 38% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Levin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$13.55 NZ$23.97
53.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$64.9 NZ$115
30.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$8.89 NZ$15.72
38.58%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.87 NZ$5.08
96.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.46 NZ$4.35
51.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.66 NZ$2.93
50.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$7.09 NZ$12.54
13.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$6.58 NZ$11.63
36.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Levin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.85 NZ$3.28
-39.46%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$0.90 NZ$1.60
316.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.72 NZ$3.05
89.53%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$6.99 NZ$12.37
-40.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$6.37 NZ$11.27
102.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$7.00 NZ$12.38
102.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$9.46 NZ$16.73
71.46%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.67 NZ$2.95
159.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.14 NZ$3.78
-31.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.99 NZ$5.29
50.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.75 NZ$3.09
148.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.90 NZ$3.36
35.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.23 NZ$2.17
91.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.86 NZ$3.30
-4.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.53 NZ$0.94
318.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$17.98 NZ$31.80
-45.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$11.36 NZ$20.10
32.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$3.22 NZ$5.69
-9.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.78 NZ$4.91
24.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Levin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.72 NZ$3.04
-13.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$81.0 NZ$143
-48.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$1.85 NZ$3.28
47.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.76 NZ$3.11
-5.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$33.04 NZ$58.4
6.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.60 NZ$2.82
-40.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$25.5K NZ$45.1K
41.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$24.9K NZ$44.1K
8.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Levin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$198 NZ$349
15.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$21.86 NZ$38.65
171.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$52.4 NZ$92.6
33.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Levin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$38.09 NZ$67.4
50.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$10.01 NZ$17.70
42.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Levin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$1,036 NZ$1,832
45.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$13.0K NZ$23.1K
64.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Levin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$76.7 NZ$136
-31.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$21.97 NZ$38.85
99.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$51.0 NZ$90.2
66.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$113 NZ$200
-8.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Levin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$993 NZ$1,756
92.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$824 NZ$1,457
54.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,192 NZ$2,109
207.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,463 NZ$2,587
73.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$4,974 NZ$8,796
53.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$3,415 NZ$6,039
-7.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Levin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.39
25.97%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Levin: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Levin
$824 35.3% $450
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Levin
$253 37.4% $151
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Levin
$272 24.2% $87
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Levin
$235 33.7% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Levin
$118 7.6% $9.7
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Levin
$58 32.3% $28
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Levin
$99 67.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $993 in Levin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $65.0 in Levin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $253 per month, with Levin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇳🇿 Levin
🕒 Local time
17:38 5:38 PM
11:38 11:38 AM
18 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
18,800
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Levin 11,910 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Levin

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 Levin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Levin?
Levin wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Levin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Levin?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,788 in Levin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Levin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $993 in Levin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Levin?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,859 in Levin – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Levin?
A monthly transit pass in Levin runs roughly 94% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Austin, TX or in Levin?
At $1,859 in Levin versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Levin but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Levin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Levin?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Levin?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Levin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Levin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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