Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Nagano

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagano: $1,180 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 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 Nagano
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Nagano Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Nagano

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,180

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,180 in Nagano.

Austin, TX $2,663
Nagano $1,180

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,942 in Nagano.

Austin, TX $4,133
Nagano $1,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,705 in Nagano.

Austin, TX $5,603
Nagano $2,705

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 126% more expensive than in Nagano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Nagano is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.27 ¥991

231.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$40.83 ¥6,451

107.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.94 ¥781

149.39%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.37 ¥533

67.06%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.06 ¥167

250.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.75 ¥119

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.46 ¥388

227.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.09 ¥488

191.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.37 ¥216

-18.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.70 ¥269

120.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.73 ¥589

-12.60%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.99 ¥314

109.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.18 ¥1,608

26.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.08 ¥961

132.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.50 ¥2,290

11.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.78 ¥913

-25.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.84 ¥448

-48.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.88 ¥455

56.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.07 ¥643

6.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.52 ¥398

2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.63 ¥415

-10.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.27 ¥201

40.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.80 ¥126

177.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.81 ¥602

159.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.43 ¥1,015

134.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.73 ¥274

68.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.11 ¥333

63.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.62 ¥256

-8.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$50.6 ¥7,987

-17.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.12 ¥493

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.64 ¥417

-37.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.77 ¥3,281

69.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.07 ¥169

-11.21%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.4K ¥3.4M

68.07%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.2K ¥2.9M

48.71%

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

$229 $229

$130 ¥20.5K

76.08%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$24.11 ¥3,810

146.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$12.46 ¥1,969

461.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$52.9 ¥8,361

8.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.36 ¥1,953

15.53%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$640 ¥101.1K

135.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

45.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$62.8 ¥9,924

-15.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$36.95 ¥5,838

18.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$61.3 ¥9,685

38.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$104 ¥16.4K

-1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$504 ¥79.7K

278.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$323 ¥51.1K

294.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,231 ¥194.6K

197.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$797 ¥126.0K

218.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,473 ¥706.8K

70.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,575 ¥248.9K

100.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$622 ¥98.3K

722.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.64

157.20%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nagano: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Nagano

$323 27.4% 74.6% $951

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Nagano

$289 24.5% 28.6% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Nagano

$167 14.1% 53.5% $192

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Nagano

$131 11.1% 62.9% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Nagano

$119 10.1% 6.8% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Nagano

$78 6.6% 9.5% $8.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Nagano

$73 6.2% 25% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $504 in Nagano. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 723% 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 $41.00 in Nagano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $289 per month, with Nagano cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Nagano

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

20:44 8:44 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

372,760

💱 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 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).

JPY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Nagano 10,560 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Nagano

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 Nagano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagano wins on cost – living expenses run 126% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nagano the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 723% 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 $504 in Nagano. 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 $1,180 in Nagano – a 126% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nagano runs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,180 in Nagano versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nagano but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nagano 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 Nagano gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.