Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Otsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,300 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,300 in Otsu.

Austin, TX $2,663
Otsu $1,300

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,886 in Otsu.

Austin, TX $4,133
Otsu $1,886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,472 in Otsu.

Austin, TX $5,603
Otsu $2,472

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 105% more expensive than in Otsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Otsu is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.63 ¥1,364

140.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$32.03 ¥5,061

164.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.00 ¥790

146.40%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.24 ¥511

73.77%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.23 ¥195

202.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.88 ¥139

184.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.17 ¥501

153.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.29 ¥678

110.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.51 ¥239

-25.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.54 ¥243

143.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.52 ¥714

-27.88%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.12 ¥334

96.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.86 ¥2,506

-18.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.89 ¥1,089

105.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.02 ¥2,689

-4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.90 ¥775

-11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.47 ¥390

-40.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.88 ¥771

-7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.36 ¥689

-0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.18 ¥344

18.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.92 ¥303

22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.14 ¥181

56.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.94 ¥149

136.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.89 ¥614

153.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.69 ¥1,530

55.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.96 ¥310

48.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.17 ¥343

59.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.49 ¥235

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$52.6 ¥8,303

-20.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.13 ¥494

-12.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.80 ¥442

-40.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$28.90 ¥4,566

22.15%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

67.04%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

77.77%

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

$229 $229

$115 ¥18.2K

98.81%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.03 ¥3,639

157.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$30.88 ¥4,878

126.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.2 ¥8,082

11.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.67 ¥1,528

68.87%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.33 ¥1,948

15.82%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$569 ¥89.9K

164.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

73.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$56.7 ¥8,955

-6.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.70 ¥5,639

22.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$69.3 ¥10.9K

22.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$98.8 ¥15.6K

4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$450 ¥71.1K

323.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$376 ¥59.4K

239.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$625 ¥98.7K

486.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$461 ¥72.8K

450.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,259 ¥672.9K

78.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,749 ¥276.3K

80.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,814 ¥286.6K

182.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.1

223.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Otsu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Otsu

$376 28.9% 70.5% $898

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Otsu

$331 25.4% 18.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Otsu

$169 13% 52.8% $189

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Otsu

$156 12% 56% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Otsu

$117 9% 8.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Otsu

$76 5.8% 11.6% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Otsu

$76 5.8% 28.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $450 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 182% 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 $32.00 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $331 per month, with Otsu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Otsu

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

18:07 6:07 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

341,314

💱 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 Otsu 10,840 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Otsu

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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Otsu wins on cost – living expenses run 105% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Otsu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 182% 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 $450 in Otsu. 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 $1,300 in Otsu – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Otsu runs roughly 26% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,300 in Otsu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Otsu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Otsu 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 Otsu 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 Otsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.