Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Shiso

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiso: $1,048 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Shiso
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Shiso Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Shiso

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,048 in Shiso.

Austin, TX $2,698
Shiso $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,913 in Shiso.

Austin, TX $4,160
Shiso $1,913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,777 in Shiso.

Austin, TX $5,622
Shiso $2,777

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 157% more expensive than in Shiso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Shiso is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$7.87 ¥1,244

162.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$68.0 ¥10.7K

24.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$6.29 ¥993

91.89%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.69 ¥584

48.51%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.83 ¥132

357.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.72 ¥114

243.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.58 ¥407

212.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$3.15 ¥497

181.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.52 ¥240

-26.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.00 ¥474

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.87 ¥769

-30.80%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.19 ¥346

97.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.19 ¥1,609

28.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.48 ¥1,023

118.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$27.01 ¥4,267

-39.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.33 ¥842

-14.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.59 ¥409

-43.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.06 ¥641

16.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.97 ¥943

-30.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.29 ¥678

-39.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.60 ¥411

-9.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.38 ¥218

28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.83 ¥130

157.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$4.11 ¥650

145.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$7.66 ¥1,211

98.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.92 ¥303

46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.22 ¥351

54.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.36 ¥216

13.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$33.90 ¥5,356

20.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.57 ¥564

-21.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.88 ¥455

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$20.87 ¥3,297

64.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.28 ¥202

-26.56%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$22.9K ¥3.6M

48.41%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

57.63%

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

$223 $223

$144 ¥22.8K

54.21%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$23.93 ¥3,781

146.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$13.58 ¥2,146

419.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$36.74 ¥5,805

57.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$13.71 ¥2,167

20.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$4.59 ¥726

210.68%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$283 ¥44.8K

433.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$13.6K ¥2.1M

53.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$10.06 ¥1,589

409.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$29.87 ¥4,720

47.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$33.76 ¥5,334

157.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$99.7 ¥15.7K

4.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$470 ¥74.3K

312.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$165 ¥26.0K

699.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$862 ¥136.1K

325.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$659 ¥104.2K

289.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$4,229 ¥668.1K

73.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,769 ¥279.5K

76.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

1.78

281.46%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Shiso

$165 15.7% 87.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Shiso

$368 35.2% 9.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Shiso

$182 17.4% 48.3% $170

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Shiso

$152 14.5% 56.7% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Shiso

$78 7.4% 39.6% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Shiso

$46 4.4% 46.7% $40

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Shiso

$57 5.5% 1% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $470 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $68.0 in Shiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $368 per month, with Shiso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Shiso

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

36,610

💱 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 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 Shiso 10,920 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Shiso

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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiso wins on cost – living expenses run 157% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shiso the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $1,572 in Shiso 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $470 in Shiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,048 in Shiso – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shiso runs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,048 in Shiso versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiso but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Shiso 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 Shiso 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 Shiso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.