Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ranong

For one person, living is cheaper in Ranong: $976 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Ranong
🇹🇭 Thailand
$976
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $976 in Ranong.

  • Austin, TX $2,698
  • Ranong $976

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,650 in Ranong.

  • Austin, TX $4,160
  • Ranong $1,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,324 in Ranong.

  • Austin, TX $5,622
  • Ranong $2,324

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 176% more expensive than in Ranong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Ranong is 28% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Ranong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.63 $20.63
$4.36 ฿146
373.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$32.07 ฿1,072
163.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$8.46 ฿283
42.67%
Cappuccino
$5.48 $5.48
$2.74 ฿91.5
100.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 $3.80
$0.96 ฿31.98
295.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.50 ฿16.59
394.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.55 ฿85.3
215.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.88 $8.88
$3.76 ฿126
136.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Ranong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.66 ฿55.5
-33.13%
White Bread (500g)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.47 ฿48.98
153.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.37 $3.37
$1.52 ฿50.6
121.71%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$2.20 ฿73.4
96.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$19.67 ฿657
-33.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.15 $14.15
$3.30 ฿110
328.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$11.09 ฿371
47.25%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$2.94 ฿98.3
54.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.64 ฿54.9
-10.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$2.26 ฿75.7
108.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$2.07 ฿69.2
100.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.50 ฿50.2
72.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.31 ฿43.78
79.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.06 ฿35.35
66.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$0.51 ฿17.01
319.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.10 $10.10
$4.46 ฿149
126.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$18.42 ฿616
-17.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.81 ฿60.6
55.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$2.75 ฿92.1
25.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Ranong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 $1.54
$0.79 ฿26.38
94.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.99 $40.99
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.21 ฿40.34
131.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.07 ฿35.76
49.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.34 $34.34
$3.81 ฿127
801.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.48 ฿49.36
-36.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K $34.0K
$26.4K ฿883.5K
28.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$26.4K ฿881.7K
1.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Ranong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$99.5 ฿3,324
123.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$11.07 ฿370
432.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$17.26 ฿577
308.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Ranong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 $57.7
$43.35 ฿1,449
33.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.53 $16.53
$12.40 ฿414
33.31%
Cinema Ticket
$14.26 $14.26
$7.65 ฿256
86.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Ranong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,511 $1,511
$548 ฿18.3K
175.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K $20.9K
$11.4K ฿382.5K
82.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Ranong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$64.3 ฿2,147
-20.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.17 $44.17
$28.31 ฿946
56.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$95.8 ฿3,203
-9.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$89.6 ฿2,993
16.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Ranong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,940 $1,940
$467 ฿15.6K
315.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 $1,316
$268 ฿8,954
391.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,081 ฿36.1K
239.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,565 $2,565
$762 ฿25.5K
236.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,354 $7,354
$1,902 ฿63.6K
286.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,129 $3,129
$1,616 ฿54.0K
93.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Ranong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,286 $5,286
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.57
21.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ranong: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Ranong
$268 79.6% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$406
Ranong
$268 34% $138
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$352
Ranong
$128 63.7% $224
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$350
Ranong
$119 66% $231
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Ranong
$125 3.1% $4
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Ranong
$59 32% $28
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$58
Ranong
$9.7 * 83.2% $48

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $467 in Ranong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $32.00 in Ranong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $268 per month, with Ranong cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇹🇭 Ranong
🕒 Local time
10:31 10:31 AM
22:31 10:31 PM
12 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
16,163
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Ranong 15,210 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Ranong

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 Ranong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Ranong?
Ranong wins on cost – living expenses run 176% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ranong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Ranong?
You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $1,464 in Ranong 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Ranong?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $467 in Ranong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Ranong?
Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $548 in Ranong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Ranong?
Dining out is cheaper in Ranong – 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.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Ranong?
At $976 in Ranong versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ranong but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ranong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Ranong?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Ranong?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Ranong 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 Ranong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% 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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