Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Matsuyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsuyama: $1,324 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Matsuyama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,324
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,324 in Matsuyama.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Matsuyama $1,324

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,006 in Matsuyama.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Matsuyama $2,006

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,689 in Matsuyama.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Matsuyama $2,689

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 101% more expensive than in Matsuyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Matsuyama is 2% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Matsuyama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$6.39 ¥1,010
225.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$31.11 ¥4,915
171.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$4.96 ¥784
148.39%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.32 ¥367
142.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.17 ¥185
217.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.61 ¥97.0
309.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.00 ¥316
302.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.28 ¥361
295.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Matsuyama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.55 ¥245
-27.74%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.27 ¥201
195.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$5.49 ¥868
-40.62%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.08 ¥329
100.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$12.39 ¥1,957
4.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$9.30 ¥1,470
52.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$31.67 ¥5,003
-48.78%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.65 ¥576
18.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.35 ¥371
-37.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$6.48 ¥1,024
-30.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$4.23 ¥668
2.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$3.86 ¥610
-33.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$3.39 ¥536
-30.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.25 ¥197
42.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.96 ¥152
131.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$3.51 ¥555
181.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$8.33 ¥1,317
81.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.95 ¥309
49.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.52 ¥239
127.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Matsuyama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.70 ¥268
-12.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$49.46 ¥7,815
-15.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.08 ¥486
-11.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$3.08 ¥487
-46.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$26.94 ¥4,257
31.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.05 ¥167
-9.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$19.8K ¥3.1M
81.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$16.6K ¥2.6M
62.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Matsuyama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$143 ¥22.5K
60.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$24.10 ¥3,808
146.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$43.52 ¥6,876
60.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Matsuyama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$58.8 ¥9,293
-2.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$12.60 ¥1,990
13.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Matsuyama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$327 ¥51.7K
360.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,187 ¥977.5K
246.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Matsuyama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$48.97 ¥7,737
7.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$24.93 ¥3,938
75.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$46.50 ¥7,347
82.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$66.1 ¥10.4K
55.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Matsuyama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$534 ¥84.4K
257.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$374 ¥59.1K
240.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,186 ¥187.3K
209.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$654 ¥103.3K
288.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$4,764 ¥752.6K
59.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,942 ¥306.8K
62.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Matsuyama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
2.28
197.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Matsuyama: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Matsuyama
$374 70.6% $900
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Matsuyama
$381 5.8% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Matsuyama
$210 41.3% $148
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Matsuyama
$116 67.3% $238
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Matsuyama
$84 34.4% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Matsuyama
$84 2.1% $1.8
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Matsuyama
$75 27.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $534 in Matsuyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $31.00 in Matsuyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $381 per month, with Matsuyama cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇯🇵 Matsuyama
🕒 Local time
07:46 7:46 AM
21:46 9:46 PM
14 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
511,192
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Matsuyama 11,130 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Matsuyama

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 Matsuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Matsuyama?
Matsuyama wins on cost – living expenses run 101% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Matsuyama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Matsuyama?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,985 in Matsuyama 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 Matsuyama?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $534 in Matsuyama. 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 Matsuyama?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,324 in Matsuyama – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Matsuyama?
A monthly transit pass in Matsuyama runs roughly 19% 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 $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Matsuyama?
At $1,324 in Matsuyama versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Matsuyama but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Matsuyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Matsuyama?
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 Matsuyama?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Matsuyama 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 Matsuyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% 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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