Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Pokhara

For one person, living is cheaper in Pokhara: $495 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Pokhara
🇳🇵 Nepal
$495
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $495 in Pokhara.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Pokhara $495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $758 in Pokhara.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Pokhara $758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,021 in Pokhara.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Pokhara $1,021

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 438% more expensive than in Pokhara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Pokhara is 63% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Pokhara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$2.56 NPR 389
711.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$13.29 NPR 2,019
536.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$6.67 NPR 1,014
84.71%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$1.08 NPR 165
421.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$0.51 NPR 77.9
629.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.16 NPR 23.58
1462.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.55 NPR 387
215.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$3.57 NPR 542
152.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Pokhara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$0.82 NPR 124
36.59%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$0.67 NPR 102
459.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$0.66 NPR 100
393.94%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$1.79 NPR 273
132.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$5.74 NPR 872
124.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$3.09 NPR 470
358.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$5.66 NPR 860
186.57%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.52 NPR 383
71.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.25 NPR 190
16.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.19 NPR 181
278.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$0.65 NPR 99.5
567.69%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.41 NPR 62.1
529.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.86 NPR 131
173.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$0.40 NPR 60.6
345.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.29 NPR 44.57
665.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$2.58 NPR 392
282.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$10.94 NPR 1,662
37.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.40 NPR 364
21.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$3.78 NPR 574
-8.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Pokhara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.20 NPR 30.36
645.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$19.35 NPR 2,940
115.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$1.59 NPR 241
71.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.76 NPR 115
118.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$2.59 NPR 394
1262.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.18 NPR 179
-19.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$32.5K NPR 4.9M
10.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$34.9K NPR 5.3M
-22.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Pokhara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$64.4 NPR 9,782
255.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$5.20 NPR 790
1042.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$6.95 NPR 1,056
905.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Pokhara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$19.67 NPR 2,989
191.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$8.40 NPR 1,276
94.40%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$2.48 NPR 377
475.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Pokhara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$48.45 NPR 7,362
3008.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$1,976 NPR 300.2K
986.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Pokhara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$18.79 NPR 2,854
181.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$36.53 NPR 5,550
19.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$35.20 NPR 5,348
140.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$30.88 NPR 4,692
233.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Pokhara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$128 NPR 19.4K
1395.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$85.9 NPR 13.1K
1382.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$240 NPR 36.4K
1430.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$161 NPR 24.5K
1477.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,801 NPR 273.6K
322.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$603 NPR 91.6K
423.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Pokhara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$180 NPR 27.4K
2740.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
12.5
-45.68%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pokhara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Pokhara
$86 93.3% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Pokhara
$152 62.4% $253
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Pokhara
$77 78.6% $282
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Pokhara
$76 78.5% $278
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Pokhara
$55 57.3% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Pokhara
$25 71.3% $61
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Pokhara
$26 56.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $128 in Pokhara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2740% 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 $13.00 in Pokhara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $152 per month, with Pokhara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇳🇵 Pokhara
🕒 Local time
17:04 5:04 PM
03:49 3:49 AM
10 h 45 min ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
500,000
💱 Currency
Nepalese Rupee NPR रु
Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Pokhara 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Pokhara

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 Pokhara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Pokhara?
Pokhara wins on cost – living expenses run 438% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pokhara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Pokhara?
Average pay runs 2740% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Pokhara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $128 in Pokhara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Pokhara?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $495 in Pokhara – a 438% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Pokhara?
A monthly transit pass in Pokhara runs roughly 116% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Pokhara?
At $495 in Pokhara versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pokhara but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Pokhara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Austin, TX or Pokhara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Pokhara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $495 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pokhara hard to pass up.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Pokhara?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Pokhara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Pokhara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 438% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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