Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Middelburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $1,089 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
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Middelburg Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,089

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,089 in Middelburg.

Austin, TX $2,663
Middelburg $1,089

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,696 in Middelburg.

Austin, TX $4,133
Middelburg $1,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,303 in Middelburg.

Austin, TX $5,603
Middelburg $2,303

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 145% more expensive than in Middelburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Middelburg is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.75 R 161

113.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$35.51 R 585

138.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.72 R 94.3

115.38%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.35 R 22.19

317.04%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.85 R 14.06

337.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.60 R 9.95

316.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.17 R 19.31

588.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.54 R 25.41

485.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.14 R 18.78

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.08 R 17.83

247.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.51 R 24.91

115.89%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.70 R 28.01

145.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$5.93 R 97.7

117.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.13 R 84.6

176.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.54 R 108

148.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.64 R 26.95

164.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.08 R 17.83

35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.15 R 19.00

292.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.23 R 20.30

252.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.68 R 27.62

53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.19 R 19.64

97.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.19 R 19.59

49.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.95 R 15.71

133.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.41 R 39.66

309.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.95 R 81.5

204.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.85 R 30.47

57.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.04 R 33.65

69.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.44 R 23.77

3.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$42.42 R 699

-1.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.59 R 9.66

362.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.87 R 14.38

90.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$11.56 R 190

205.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.32 R 21.81

-28.03%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.1K R 577.9K

2.77%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.1K R 528.4K

-15.58%

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

$229 $229

$145 R 2,382

58.40%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$34.32 R 565

73.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$37.05 R 610

88.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$31.85 R 525

79.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.78 R 178

51.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.19 R 118

98.61%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$243 R 4,005

519.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,359 R 88.3K

300.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$53.1 R 874

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$32.83 R 541

33.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$98.5 R 1,623

-13.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$88.3 R 1,455

16.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$387 R 6,369

393.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$354 R 5,836

259.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$736 R 12.1K

398.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$742 R 12.2K

242.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$878 R 14.5K

767.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$665 R 10.9K

375.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,193 R 19.6K

329.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.94

-37.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Middelburg

$354 32.5% 72.2% $920

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Middelburg

$170 15.7% 57.9% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Middelburg

$216 19.8% 39.7% $142

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Middelburg

$126 11.6% 64.4% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Middelburg

$123 11.3% 4.1% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Middelburg

$46 4.3% 46.1% $40

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Middelburg

$53 4.9% 9.5% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $387 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 329% 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 Middelburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $170 per month, with Middelburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🕒 Local time

07:24 7:24 AM

14:24 2:24 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

87,348

💱 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

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Between locations

Austin, TX Middelburg 14,850 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Middelburg

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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 145% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Middelburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 329% 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 $387 in Middelburg. 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 $1,089 in Middelburg – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Middelburg runs roughly 2% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,089 in Middelburg versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg 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 Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.