Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Pingtung city

For one person, living is cheaper in Pingtung city: $909 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Pingtung city
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Pingtung city Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Pingtung city

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Pingtung city

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $909 in Pingtung city.

Austin, TX $2,663
Pingtung city $909

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,474 in Pingtung city.

Austin, TX $4,133
Pingtung city $1,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,038 in Pingtung city.

Austin, TX $5,603
Pingtung city $2,038

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 193% more expensive than in Pingtung city, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Pingtung city is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.52 NT$179

276.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.64 NT$1,026

167.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.71 NT$153

161.57%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.87 NT$93.1

96.17%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.98 NT$31.82

279.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.68 NT$21.92

267.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.54 NT$49.83

422.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.52 NT$81.6

257.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$3.22 NT$104

-65.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.91 NT$62.0

96.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.60 NT$84.2

25.38%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.65 NT$86.0

57.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.60 NT$506

-17.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.06 NT$261

75.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.09 NT$489

7.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.33 NT$140

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.87 NT$60.7

-21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.49 NT$80.8

81.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.19 NT$104

36.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.18 NT$38.37

118.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.93 NT$62.7

21.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.33 NT$75.6

-23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.85 NT$27.60

161.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.81 NT$123

159.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.42 NT$500

-2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.55 NT$50.2

88.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.24 NT$72.5

54.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.49 NT$15.89

204.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.70 NT$87.5

1.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.74 NT$24.04

124.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.40 NT$207

451.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.03 NT$33.32

-7.77%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.1K NT$1.1M

5.82%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.0K NT$746.1K

17.67%

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

$229 $229

$111 NT$3,590

106.86%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$15.11 NT$490

293.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$25.70 NT$833

172.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.58 NT$311

49.06%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$344 NT$11.2K

337.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.0K NT$453.1K

53.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$70.8 NT$2,297

-25.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$31.23 NT$1,013

40.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$82.4 NT$2,670

2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$104 NT$3,359

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$247 NT$8,018

671.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$155 NT$5,023

722.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$746 NT$24.2K

390.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$375 NT$12.2K

576.85%

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

$1,912 NT$62.0K

167.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.27

199.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pingtung city: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Pingtung city

$155 17% 87.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Pingtung city

$334 36.7% 17.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Pingtung city

$152 16.7% 57.7% $207

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Pingtung city

$112 12.3% 68.3% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Pingtung city

$130 14.3% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Pingtung city

$19 * 2.1% 77.7% $67

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Pingtung city

$8.4 * 0.9% 85.8% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $247 in Pingtung city. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 168% 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 Pingtung city for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $334 per month, with Pingtung city cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇹🇼 Pingtung city

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

07:57 7:57 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

201,644

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

TWD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Pingtung city 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Pingtung city

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 Pingtung city: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pingtung city wins on cost – living expenses run 193% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pingtung city the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 168% 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 $247 in Pingtung city. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $344 in Pingtung city. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pingtung city – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $909 in Pingtung city versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pingtung city but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Pingtung city 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 Pingtung city 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 Pingtung city gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.