Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Morioka

For one person, living is cheaper in Morioka: $1,190 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Morioka
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Morioka Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Morioka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,190 in Morioka.

Austin, TX $2,663
Morioka $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,943 in Morioka.

Austin, TX $4,133
Morioka $1,943

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,696 in Morioka.

Austin, TX $5,603
Morioka $2,696

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 124% more expensive than in Morioka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Morioka is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.13 ¥969

238.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.46 ¥4,971

168.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.15 ¥813

139.22%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.96 ¥468

90.20%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.20 ¥189

210.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.79 ¥124

216.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.66 ¥421

202.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.11 ¥491

189.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.46 ¥230

-23.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.55 ¥244

141.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.23 ¥668

-22.93%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.03 ¥320

105.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.04 ¥1,428

42.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.42 ¥1,172

90.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.65 ¥2,788

-8.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.97 ¥627

9.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.24 ¥355

-34.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.10 ¥489

45.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.29 ¥678

1.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.56 ¥405

0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.22 ¥352

5.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.18 ¥187

50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.94 ¥148

136.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.13 ¥653

139.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.81 ¥1,076

121.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.68 ¥266

73.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.33 ¥368

48.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.50 ¥236

-0.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$54.5 ¥8,603

-23.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.13 ¥494

-12.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.63 ¥415

-36.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$21.32 ¥3,368

65.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.09 ¥172

-12.84%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.2K ¥3.2M

78.13%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

79.46%

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

$229 $229

$132 ¥20.8K

73.83%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.69 ¥3,743

150.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.46 ¥4,970

122.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.7 ¥8,167

10.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.07 ¥1,749

29.00%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$545 ¥86.1K

176.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.2K ¥1.9M

75.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$50.8 ¥8,018

4.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.59 ¥5,623

23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$57.1 ¥9,025

48.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$96.3 ¥15.2K

6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$552 ¥87.1K

245.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$323 ¥51.0K

294.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,157 ¥182.8K

216.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$842 ¥133.0K

201.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,122 ¥651.2K

84.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,502 ¥237.3K

110.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.21

207.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Morioka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Morioka

$323 27.1% 74.7% $951

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Morioka

$294 24.7% 27.3% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Morioka

$187 15.7% 47.8% $171

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Morioka

$127 10.7% 64% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Morioka

$108 9.1% 15.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Morioka

$74 6.2% 13.9% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Morioka

$77 6.5% 30.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $552 in Morioka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $31.00 in Morioka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $294 per month, with Morioka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Morioka

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

15:52 3:52 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

289,731

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

JPY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Morioka 10,140 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Morioka

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 Morioka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Morioka wins on cost – living expenses run 124% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Morioka the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,785 in Morioka 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $552 in Morioka. 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 $1,190 in Morioka – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Morioka runs roughly 31% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,190 in Morioka versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Morioka but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Morioka 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 Morioka 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 Morioka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.