Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Margate

For one person, living is cheaper in Margate: $889 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Margate
Learn more

Margate Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Margate

🇿🇦 South Africa

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $889 in Margate.

Austin, TX $2,663
Margate $889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,410 in Margate.

Austin, TX $4,133
Margate $1,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,932 in Margate.

Austin, TX $5,603
Margate $1,932

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 200% more expensive than in Margate, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Margate is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.83 R 129

165.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$35.95 R 592

135.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.97 R 98.4

106.37%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.80 R 29.58

212.78%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.03 R 16.99

261.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.76 R 12.60

228.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.43 R 39.96

231.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.27 R 37.38

296.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.02 R 16.77

9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.92 R 15.10

307.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.05 R 17.37

210.48%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.36 R 38.87

76.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$4.98 R 82.0

159.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.37 R 55.6

320.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.05 R 99.7

168.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.15 R 18.87

276.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.19 R 19.54

22.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.05 R 17.37

329.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.44 R 23.78

201.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.08 R 17.78

138.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.30 R 21.43

80.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.09 R 17.96

63.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.95 R 15.63

133.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.58 R 26.04

525.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$3.49 R 57.5

332.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.45 R 23.92

101.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.81 R 29.90

91.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.52 R 25.09

-1.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.41 R 6.75

565.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.74 R 12.23

124.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.46 R 123

373.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.35 R 22.31

-29.63%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.5K R 584.5K

1.61%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.9K R 508.8K

-12.33%

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

$229 $229

$60.9 R 1,003

276.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$18.27 R 301

225.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$33.36 R 550

109.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$32.27 R 532

77.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.59 R 174

54.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.12 R 68.0

246.60%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$304 R 5,016

394.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,507 R 123.7K

185.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$54.2 R 893

-2.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$18.33 R 302

139.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$71.8 R 1,183

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$48.57 R 800

112.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$396 R 6,527

381.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$366 R 6,028

248.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$741 R 12.2K

394.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$722 R 11.9K

251.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$888 R 14.6K

757.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$666 R 11.0K

374.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,528 R 25.2K

235.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.78

-42.36%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Margate: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Margate

$366 41.2% 71.3% $908

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Margate

$147 16.5% 63.7% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Margate

$113 12.7% 68.6% $246

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Margate

$126 14.2% 64.4% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Margate

$87 9.8% 32.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Margate

$41 4.6% 52.8% $45

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Margate

$10 * 1.2% 82.6% $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 $396 in Margate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 235% 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 $36.00 in Margate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $147 per month, with Margate cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇦 Margate

🕒 Local time

02:56 2:56 AM

09:56 9:56 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

34,407

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Margate 15,090 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Margate

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 Margate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Margate wins on cost – living expenses run 200% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Margate the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 235% 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 $396 in Margate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $304 in Margate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Margate – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $889 in Margate versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Margate but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Margate 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 Margate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.