Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Oulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Oulu: $1,892 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Oulu
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Oulu Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Oulu

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,892 in Oulu.

Austin, TX $2,704
Oulu $1,892

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,931 in Oulu.

Austin, TX $4,133
Oulu $2,931

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,971 in Oulu.

Austin, TX $5,562
Oulu $3,971

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 43% more expensive than in Oulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Oulu 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.58 €15.69

15.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$88.1 €78.6

-3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$15.07 €13.45

-18.05%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$5.05 €4.51

8.32%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.91 €2.60

31.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.25 €2.00

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.94 €7.09

1.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$7.98 €7.12

12.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.21 €1.08

-6.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.21 €1.97

71.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.70 €2.41

20.37%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.27 €2.92

26.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.42 €6.63

76.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$13.52 €12.06

5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$23.04 €20.56

-30.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.22 €1.98

97.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.93 €1.73

-24.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.12 €1.89

114.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.19 €3.74

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.99 €0.89

165.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.64 €1.46

43.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.60 €2.32

-32.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.62 €1.44

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$13.34 €11.90

-26.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.38 €11.05

18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.63 €3.24

-23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.08 €2.75

12.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.90 €2.59

-48.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$63.8 €56.9

-36.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$9.29 €8.29

-71.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.68 €1.50

-5.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$55.5 €49.51

-36.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.24 €2.00

-55.80%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$37.3K €33.3K

-3.99%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$36.9K €32.9K

-26.32%

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

$219 $219

$119 €107

83.52%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$25.55 €22.80

126.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$21.39 €19.09

219.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$35.59 €31.76

62.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$19.16 €17.09

-22.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$17.46 €15.58

-19.07%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$360 €321

319.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$91.6 €81.8

-43.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$44.80 €39.98

-1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$110 €98.0

-22.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$210 €187

-49.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$781 €697

147.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$654 €584

94.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,298 €1,158

182.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,046 €933

141.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,947 €3,522

92.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,019 €1,802

58.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,524 €2,253

102.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.1

65.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Oulu: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Oulu

$654 35% 48.6% $618

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Oulu

$354 19% 12% $49

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Oulu

$323 17.3% 7.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Oulu

$166 8.9% 51.8% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Oulu

$205 11% 59.3% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Oulu

$71 3.8% 18.2% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Oulu

$93 5% 63.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $781 in Oulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 102% 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 $88.0 in Oulu. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $354, with Oulu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇫🇮 Oulu

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

07:55 7:55 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

214,651

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Oulu 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Oulu

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 Oulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oulu wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 102% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $781 in Oulu. 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 $1,892 in Oulu – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Oulu runs roughly 57% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,892 in Oulu versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oulu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Oulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oulu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,892 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oulu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Oulu 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 Oulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.