Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Pilikwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Pilikwe: $568 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Pilikwe
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Pilikwe Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Pilikwe

🇧🇼 Botswana

$568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $568 in Pilikwe.

Austin, TX $2,663
Pilikwe $568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $914 in Pilikwe.

Austin, TX $4,133
Pilikwe $914

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,259 in Pilikwe.

Austin, TX $5,603
Pilikwe $1,259

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 369% more expensive than in Pilikwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Pilikwe is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.72 P 143

93.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$28.91 P 386

192.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.66 P 75.7

117.67%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.27 P 30.27

148.02%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.76 P 10.21

389.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.41 P 5.42

509.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.97 P 26.34

308.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.52 P 33.65

257.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.47 P 19.65

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.82 P 11.00

357.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.86 P 24.84

75.27%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.43 P 32.41

71.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.42 P 85.8

100.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.66 P 62.3

203.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$5.03 P 67.3

222.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.66 P 22.22

160.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.46 P 19.46

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.07 P 27.61

117.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.59 P 21.31

172.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.36 P 18.17

89.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.16 P 15.50

102.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.29 P 17.30

37.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.95 P 12.75

133.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.56 P 47.53

177.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.35 P 58.1

246.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.38 P 18.43

111.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.74 P 23.31

98.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.61 P 8.15

347.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.50 P 33.41

-33.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$2.86 P 38.28

1134.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.34 P 17.93

-29.10%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.1K P 268.7K

79.31%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$20.0K P 267.7K

35.14%

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

$229 $229

$60.2 P 804

280.63%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$18.66 P 249

218.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$44.56 P 595

56.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.29 P 84.1

127.03%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$127 P 1,703

1081.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,466 P 33.0K

770.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$47.79 P 639

10.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$16.52 P 221

165.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$71.6 P 956

18.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$78.2 P 1,045

31.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.33

-40.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pilikwe: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Pilikwe

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Pilikwe

$173 30.5% 57.2% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Pilikwe

$123 21.7% 65.6% $235

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Pilikwe

$149 26.3% 57.8% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Pilikwe

$96 17% 24.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Pilikwe

$13 * 2.2% 85.3% $73

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Pilikwe

$13 * 2.3% 77.7% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $29.00 in Pilikwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $173 per month, with Pilikwe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇼 Pilikwe

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,375

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 BWP = 7.48 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 13.36 BWP (100 BWP = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

BWP to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Pilikwe 14,530 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Pilikwe

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 Pilikwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pilikwe wins on cost – living expenses run 369% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pilikwe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $852 in Pilikwe 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.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $127 in Pilikwe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pilikwe – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $568 in Pilikwe versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pilikwe but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Pilikwe 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 Pilikwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 369% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.