Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mbabane

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbabane: $747 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Mbabane
Learn more

Mbabane Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Mbabane

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $747 in Mbabane.

Austin, TX $2,704
Mbabane $747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,223 in Mbabane.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mbabane $1,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,700 in Mbabane.

Austin, TX $5,562
Mbabane $1,700

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 262% more expensive than in Mbabane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Mbabane is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$10.27 SZL 169

96.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$34.04 SZL 561

149.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$5.74 SZL 94.6

115.16%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.62 SZL 43.16

108.78%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.12 SZL 18.41

241.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.62 SZL 10.21

303.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.16 SZL 35.58

273.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.45 SZL 40.46

266.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.53 SZL 25.29

-26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.81 SZL 13.34

366.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.75 SZL 28.82

85.71%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.78 SZL 29.32

132.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.01 SZL 181

18.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.60 SZL 92.3

155.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$4.98 SZL 82.0

220.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.74 SZL 28.72

151.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.63 SZL 10.38

130.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.25 SZL 20.56

263.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.41 SZL 23.18

197.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.25 SZL 20.57

110.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.49 SZL 24.48

58.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.71 SZL 11.74

147.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.76 SZL 12.56

184.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.85 SZL 46.91

244.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$5.93 SZL 97.8

148.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.52 SZL 25.10

82.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.67 SZL 27.59

108.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.74 SZL 12.18

101.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.38 SZL 22.80

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.03 SZL 50.0

1064.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.27 SZL 20.98

-22.05%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$219 $219

$64.0 SZL 1,056

242.40%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$38.40 SZL 633

51.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$26.97 SZL 445

153.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$22.61 SZL 373

156.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$3.04 SZL 50.1

387.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$3.65 SZL 60.1

287.12%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,330 SZL 104.3K

239.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$35.21 SZL 580

46.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$14.80 SZL 244

197.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$69.1 SZL 1,139

23.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$53.2 SZL 877

97.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$267 SZL 4,406

622.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$179 SZL 2,950

611.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$445 SZL 7,332

725.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$347 SZL 5,720

627.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$473 SZL 7,794

1510.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$359 SZL 5,915

791.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.25

-6.34%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mbabane: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Mbabane

$179 23.6% 85.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Mbabane

$180 23.7% 55.4% $223

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Mbabane

$153 20.2% 55.9% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Mbabane

$129 17.1% 62.6% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Mbabane

$78 10.2% 39.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Mbabane

$30 3.9% 65.3% $56

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Mbabane

$9.9 * 1.3% 82.7% $47

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $267 in Mbabane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $34.00 in Mbabane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $180 per month, with Mbabane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇿 Mbabane

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

12:26 12:26 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

94,874 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.47 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

SZL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Mbabane 15,030 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mbabane

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 Mbabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mbabane wins on cost – living expenses run 262% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mbabane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,055 in Austin, TX and $1,121 in Mbabane 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $267 in Mbabane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $747 in Mbabane – a 262% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Mbabane versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mbabane but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mbabane 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 Mbabane 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 Mbabane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.