Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Polokwane

For one person, living is cheaper in Polokwane: $959 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Polokwane
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Polokwane Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Polokwane

🇿🇦 South Africa

$959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $959 in Polokwane.

Austin, TX $2,663
Polokwane $959

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,417 in Polokwane.

Austin, TX $4,133
Polokwane $1,417

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,875 in Polokwane.

Austin, TX $5,603
Polokwane $1,875

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 178% more expensive than in Polokwane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Polokwane is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.24 R 202

69.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$29.66 R 489

185.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.46 R 123

65.15%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.38 R 39.26

136.55%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.77 R 12.68

383.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.88 R 14.47

184.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.68 R 27.65

379.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.88 R 30.95

379.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.32 R 21.71

-15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.08 R 17.82

247.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.70 R 28.03

91.76%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.65 R 43.69

57.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.84 R 129

64.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.59 R 75.6

208.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.04 R 99.6

168.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.01 R 33.19

115.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.85 R 30.53

-21.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.81 R 29.80

149.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.96 R 32.30

121.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.67 R 27.49

54.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.50 R 24.73

56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.12 R 18.48

58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.82 R 13.46

170.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.68 R 44.22

268.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.87 R 80.2

209.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.15 R 18.88

153.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.61 R 26.54

114.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.92 R 15.22

61.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$30.03 R 495

38.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.87 R 14.41

213.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.95 R 15.66

74.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$14.36 R 237

145.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.43 R 23.52

-33.57%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$26.1K R 430.1K

38.09%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$28.5K R 469.0K

-4.89%

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

$229 $229

$138 R 2,281

65.38%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$38.10 R 628

55.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$32.99 R 544

111.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$23.29 R 384

145.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$8.00 R 132

78.50%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$179 R 2,946

742.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,452 R 23.9K

1378.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$45.30 R 746

16.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$37.73 R 622

16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$80.6 R 1,328

5.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$93.7 R 1,544

9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$290 R 4,785

556.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$203 R 3,338

528.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$420 R 6,922

772.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$284 R 4,683

793.00%

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

$1,343 R 22.1K

281.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.91

-37.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Polokwane

$203 21.1% 84.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Polokwane

$185 19.3% 54.2% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Polokwane

$210 21.8% 41.5% $149

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Polokwane

$168 17.5% 52.6% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Polokwane

$116 12.1% 9.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Polokwane

$39 4.1% 54.2% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Polokwane

$39 4.1% 33% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $290 in Polokwane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 281% 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 $30.00 in Polokwane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $185 per month, with Polokwane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇦 Polokwane

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

12:38 12:38 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

628,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

ZAR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Polokwane 14,790 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Polokwane

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 Polokwane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polokwane wins on cost – living expenses run 178% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Polokwane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 281% 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 $290 in Polokwane. 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 $959 in Polokwane – a 178% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Polokwane runs roughly 39% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $959 in Polokwane versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Polokwane but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Polokwane 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 Polokwane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.