Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Scottburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Scottburgh: $1,097 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Scottburgh
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,097
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,097 in Scottburgh.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Scottburgh $1,097

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,694 in Scottburgh.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Scottburgh $1,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,292 in Scottburgh.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Scottburgh $2,292

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 143% more expensive than in Scottburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Scottburgh is 19% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Scottburgh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$7.88 R 130
163.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$39.22 R 646
115.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$5.88 R 96.8
109.52%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.66 R 43.74
111.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.09 R 17.88
241.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.88 R 14.55
184.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.38 R 39.13
238.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.48 R 40.78
263.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Scottburgh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.22 R 20.06
-8.20%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$0.93 R 15.24
303.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.49 R 24.63
118.79%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.33 R 38.32
78.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$8.10 R 133
59.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$5.16 R 85.1
174.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$7.40 R 122
119.19%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.99 R 32.71
117.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.94 R 32.03
-24.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.95 R 32.05
131.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.73 R 28.45
150.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.55 R 25.56
66.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.40 R 23.05
67.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.16 R 19.09
53.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.16 R 19.10
91.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$3.65 R 60.2
170.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$4.74 R 78.1
218.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.46 R 24.08
100.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.85 R 30.47
87.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Scottburgh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.49 R 24.51
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.43 R 7.09
534.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.70 R 11.47
137.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$7.59 R 125
365.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.50 R 24.75
-36.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$36.0K R 592.9K
0.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$30.6K R 504.9K
-11.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Scottburgh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$148 R 2,436
54.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$35.47 R 584
67.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$39.05 R 643
79.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Scottburgh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$31.70 R 522
80.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$10.92 R 180
49.54%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$7.35 R 121
94.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Scottburgh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$309 R 5,089
387.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$7,540 R 124.2K
184.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Scottburgh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$54.5 R 897
-3.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$29.70 R 489
47.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$100 R 1,648
-15.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$85.1 R 1,402
21.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Scottburgh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$389 R 6,407
390.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$366 R 6,038
247.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$739 R 12.2K
396.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$718 R 11.8K
253.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$867 R 14.3K
777.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$664 R 10.9K
375.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Scottburgh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
11.78
-42.36%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Scottburgh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Scottburgh
$366 71.2% $908
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Scottburgh
$194 52.2% $211
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Scottburgh
$222 37.9% $136
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Scottburgh
$137 61.2% $217
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Scottburgh
$121 5.3% $6.8
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Scottburgh
$46 45.9% $39
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Scottburgh
$9.9 * 83.2% $49

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 $389 in Scottburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $39.00 in Scottburgh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $194 per month, with Scottburgh cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇿🇦 Scottburgh
🕒 Local time
08:06 8:06 AM
15:06 3:06 PM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
23,949
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Scottburgh 15,110 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Scottburgh

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 Scottburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Scottburgh?
Scottburgh wins on cost – living expenses run 143% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Scottburgh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Scottburgh?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,646 in Scottburgh 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 Scottburgh?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $389 in Scottburgh. 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 Scottburgh?
Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $309 in Scottburgh. 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 Scottburgh?
Dining out is cheaper in Scottburgh – a meal for two runs $39.00 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 Scottburgh?
At $1,097 in Scottburgh versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Scottburgh but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Scottburgh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Scottburgh?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Scottburgh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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