Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mandaue

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaue: $825 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Mandaue
Learn more

Mandaue Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Mandaue

🇵🇭 Philippines

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $825 in Mandaue.

Austin, TX $2,663
Mandaue $825

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,203 in Mandaue.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mandaue $1,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,581 in Mandaue.

Austin, TX $5,603
Mandaue $1,581

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 223% more expensive than in Mandaue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Mandaue is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.96 ₱187

601.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$23.45 ₱1,476

260.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.99 ₱251

208.77%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.58 ₱162

118.22%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.54 ₱97.0

141.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.49 ₱31.05

410.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.72 ₱108

368.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.28 ₱144

295.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.95 ₱123

-42.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.09 ₱68.7

244.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.93 ₱58.7

250.54%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.97 ₱124

111.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.91 ₱624

30.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.36 ₱275

224.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.63 ₱481

112.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.47 ₱219

24.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.43 ₱90.0

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.28 ₱144

97.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.47 ₱92.5

195.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.34 ₱147

10.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.97 ₱124

19.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.19 ₱74.9

49.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.67 ₱42.41

231.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.37 ₱149

316.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.29 ₱396

139.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.23 ₱77.4

137.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.72 ₱108

101.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.24 ₱14.97

520.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$9.67 ₱609

331.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.74 ₱46.69

268.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.21 ₱13.19

690.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$1.88 ₱119

1777.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.32 ₱83.3

-28.03%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

69.86%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

41.57%

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

$229 $229

$98.3 ₱6,187

133.02%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$14.07 ₱886

322.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$27.93 ₱1,758

150.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$33.01 ₱2,078

73.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$5.27 ₱332

209.87%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.69 ₱358

150.97%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$130 ₱8,204

1055.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,979 ₱502.4K

168.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$32.91 ₱2,072

60.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$19.62 ₱1,235

123.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$76.1 ₱4,790

11.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$57.7 ₱3,632

78.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$429 ₱27.0K

344.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$251 ₱15.8K

407.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$747 ₱47.1K

390.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$353 ₱22.2K

619.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,174 ₱136.9K

250.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$902 ₱56.8K

250.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$234 ₱14.8K

2084.07%

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 Mandaue: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Mandaue

$251 30.5% 80.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Mandaue

$205 24.8% 49.4% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Mandaue

$140 17% 60.9% $218

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Mandaue

$88 10.7% 75.2% $266

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Mandaue

$84 10.2% 34.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mandaue

$44 5.4% 48.3% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Mandaue

$12 1.5% 78.9% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $429 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2084% 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 $23.00 in Mandaue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $205 per month, with Mandaue cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇭 Mandaue

🕒 Local time

21:54 9:54 PM

10:54 10:54 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

364,116

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Mandaue 13,670 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mandaue

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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 223% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2084% 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 $429 in Mandaue. 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 $825 in Mandaue – a 223% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mandaue runs roughly 331% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $825 in Mandaue versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue 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 Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 223% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.