Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sagamihara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sagamihara: $1,257 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Sagamihara
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Sagamihara Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Sagamihara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,257 in Sagamihara.

Austin, TX $2,663
Sagamihara $1,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,021 in Sagamihara.

Austin, TX $4,133
Sagamihara $2,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,785 in Sagamihara.

Austin, TX $5,603
Sagamihara $2,785

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 112% more expensive than in Sagamihara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Sagamihara is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.53 ¥1,348

143.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$32.01 ¥5,057

164.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.91 ¥775

150.92%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.46 ¥389

128.86%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.23 ¥195

202.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.86 ¥135

190.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.11 ¥492

158.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.08 ¥486

192.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.93 ¥147

20.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.62 ¥97.4

504.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.18 ¥660

-22.01%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.83 ¥290

127.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.74 ¥2,486

-18.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.96 ¥1,099

103.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.26 ¥2,727

-6.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.27 ¥358

90.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.60 ¥252

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.02 ¥794

-10.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$7.96 ¥1,257

-45.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.90 ¥616

-33.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.74 ¥749

-50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.13 ¥178

57.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.42 ¥67.1

428.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.98 ¥629

148.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.59 ¥1,515

57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.61 ¥412

11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.13 ¥337

62.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.32 ¥209

12.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$47.24 ¥7,463

-11.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.09 ¥488

-11.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.81 ¥444

-40.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$15.55 ¥2,457

127.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 ¥167

-10.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.4K ¥3.4M

68.45%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

79.55%

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

$229 $229

$117 ¥18.5K

95.10%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.13 ¥3,654

156.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.04 ¥4,904

125.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$58.1 ¥9,172

-1.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.33 ¥1,790

26.04%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$580 ¥91.6K

159.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

47.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$49.53 ¥7,826

6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.82 ¥5,659

22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$61.4 ¥9,695

38.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$97.3 ¥15.4K

5.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$468 ¥73.9K

307.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$362 ¥57.1K

252.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,074 ¥169.7K

241.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$845 ¥133.5K

200.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,844 ¥765.3K

57.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,779 ¥281.0K

77.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.02

236.14%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sagamihara: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Sagamihara

$362 28.8% 71.6% $913

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Sagamihara

$321 25.6% 20.6% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Sagamihara

$172 13.6% 52.1% $187

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Sagamihara

$143 11.3% 59.7% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Sagamihara

$110 8.7% 14.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Sagamihara

$81 6.4% 5.9% $5.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Sagamihara

$70 5.5% 18.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $468 in Sagamihara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $32.00 in Sagamihara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $321 per month, with Sagamihara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Sagamihara

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

11:06 11:06 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

725,493

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

JPY to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Sagamihara 10,570 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sagamihara

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 Sagamihara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sagamihara wins on cost – living expenses run 112% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sagamihara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,886 in Sagamihara 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $468 in Sagamihara. 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 $1,257 in Sagamihara – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sagamihara runs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,257 in Sagamihara versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sagamihara but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sagamihara 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 Sagamihara 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 Sagamihara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.