Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Shiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiga: $1,191 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Shiga
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Shiga Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Shiga

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,191

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,191 in Shiga.

Austin, TX $2,663
Shiga $1,191

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,880 in Shiga.

Austin, TX $4,133
Shiga $1,880

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,568 in Shiga.

Austin, TX $5,603
Shiga $2,568

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 124% more expensive than in Shiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Shiga is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.14 ¥970

238.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.73 ¥5,013

166.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.96 ¥783

148.39%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.90 ¥458

94.14%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.28 ¥202

190.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.69 ¥108

262.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.69 ¥425

199.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.50 ¥554

157.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.28 ¥203

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.29 ¥204

190.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.81 ¥602

-14.44%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.05 ¥325

103.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.35 ¥1,478

37.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.43 ¥1,490

50.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.30 ¥2,891

-11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.26 ¥515

32.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.01 ¥318

-27.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.04 ¥322

121.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.10 ¥647

5.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.57 ¥248

64.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.17 ¥184

100.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.30 ¥205

36.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.86 ¥136

158.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.88 ¥614

154.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.26 ¥1,462

62.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.95 ¥308

49.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.14 ¥495

10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.10 ¥174

35.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$52.9 ¥8,350

-21.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.70 ¥584

-26.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.09 ¥488

-46.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$21.14 ¥3,340

66.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.04 ¥165

-8.65%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

66.22%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

78.74%

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

$229 $229

$137 ¥21.6K

67.16%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$24.21 ¥3,825

145.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$18.71 ¥2,955

273.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$52.5 ¥8,288

9.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.77 ¥1,859

21.33%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$518 ¥81.8K

190.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.8K ¥2.0M

67.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$47.28 ¥7,469

11.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$30.38 ¥4,800

44.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$73.6 ¥11.6K

15.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$91.0 ¥14.4K

13.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$536 ¥84.7K

255.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$329 ¥52.1K

286.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,113 ¥175.8K

229.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$724 ¥114.3K

250.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,138 ¥653.7K

84.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,525 ¥241.0K

106.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,192 ¥188.3K

329.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.21

207.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shiga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Shiga

$330 27.7% 74.1% $945

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Shiga

$293 24.6% 27.5% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Shiga

$180 15.1% 49.8% $178

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Shiga

$127 10.7% 64.1% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Shiga

$109 9.2% 14.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Shiga

$76 6.4% 11.4% $9.8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Shiga

$76 6.4% 30.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $536 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 330% 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 $32.00 in Shiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $293 per month, with Shiga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Shiga

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

18:08 6:08 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

23,836

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Shiga 10,820 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Shiga

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 Shiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiga wins on cost – living expenses run 124% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shiga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 330% 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 $536 in Shiga. 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 $1,191 in Shiga – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shiga runs roughly 27% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,191 in Shiga versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shiga but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Shiga 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 Shiga 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 Shiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.