Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Saitama

For one person, living is cheaper in Saitama: $1,003 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Saitama
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Saitama Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Saitama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,003 in Saitama.

Austin, TX $2,663
Saitama $1,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,327 in Saitama.

Austin, TX $4,133
Saitama $1,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,650 in Saitama.

Austin, TX $5,603
Saitama $1,650

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 166% more expensive than in Saitama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Saitama is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.50 ¥869

277.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.36 ¥4,955

169.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.80 ¥758

156.67%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.92 ¥461

92.81%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.70 ¥111

431.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.58 ¥92.0

331.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.51 ¥396

220.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.23 ¥511

178.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.39 ¥220

-19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.64 ¥259

128.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.76 ¥436

18.12%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.00 ¥315

108.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.18 ¥1,609

26.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.44 ¥859

160.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.20 ¥2,243

14.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.61 ¥887

-22.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.16 ¥342

-32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.91 ¥459

54.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.29 ¥678

1.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.50 ¥395

3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.61 ¥255

45.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.30 ¥205

36.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.72 ¥114

208.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.89 ¥615

153.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.45 ¥1,018

133.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.80 ¥284

62.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.01 ¥318

72.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.32 ¥525

-55.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.24 ¥512

-15.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.63 ¥416

-36.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.14 ¥3,181

75.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.10 ¥174

-13.64%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.4K ¥3.4M

68.14%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$14.2K ¥2.2M

91.11%

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

$229 $229

$133 ¥21.0K

72.56%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$18.15 ¥2,867

227.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$32.67 ¥5,162

113.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$62.7 ¥9,909

-8.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.09 ¥1,752

28.76%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$634 ¥100.1K

137.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

47.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$35.01 ¥5,531

50.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.25 ¥3,989

73.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$55.0 ¥8,686

54.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$62.6 ¥9,891

64.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$413 ¥65.3K

361.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$233 ¥36.8K

446.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

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

$1,550 ¥244.9K

230.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.06

229.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Saitama: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Saitama

$233 23.2% 81.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Saitama

$274 27.4% 32.2% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Saitama

$184 18.3% 48.8% $175

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Saitama

$118 11.7% 66.8% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Saitama

$80 8% 37.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Saitama

$85 8.5% 1% $0.9

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Saitama

$30 * 3% 49.4% $29

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 $413 in Saitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 230% 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 $31.00 in Saitama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $274 per month, with Saitama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Saitama

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

02:25 2:25 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,182,115

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 17, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Saitama 10,530 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Saitama

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 Saitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saitama wins on cost – living expenses run 166% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saitama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 230% 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 $413 in Saitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $634 in Saitama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saitama – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Saitama versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saitama but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Saitama 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 Saitama 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 Saitama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.