Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Somerset West

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset West: $1,162 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
Learn more

Somerset West Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Somerset West

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,162 in Somerset West.

Austin, TX $2,663
Somerset West $1,162

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,890 in Somerset West.

Austin, TX $4,133
Somerset West $1,890

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,618 in Somerset West.

Austin, TX $5,603
Somerset West $2,618

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 129% more expensive than in Somerset West, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Somerset West is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.86 R 195

75.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$45.93 R 757

84.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.42 R 89.3

127.31%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.17 R 35.82

159.45%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.03 R 16.99

261.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.91 R 15.02

174.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.52 R 41.47

219.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.32 R 54.6

171.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.94 R 15.56

19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.00 R 16.43

275.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.06 R 33.91

58.25%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.27 R 37.42

83.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.65 R 142

49.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.25 R 86.6

169.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.52 R 157

70.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.84 R 30.28

135.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.90 R 31.24

-23.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.69 R 27.83

166.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.74 R 28.62

149.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.54 R 25.30

67.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.54 R 25.30

52.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.29 R 21.21

37.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.09 R 17.92

103.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.28 R 54.0

201.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.98 R 98.5

152.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.34 R 22.13

117.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.76 R 28.95

96.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.12 R 18.52

33.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$59.4 R 979

-29.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.58 R 9.56

370.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.48 R 24.35

12.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$5.08 R 83.7

594.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.43 R 23.49

-33.57%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.8K R 474.1K

25.26%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.0K R 494.4K

-9.79%

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

$229 $229

$85.2 R 1,404

168.80%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$28.77 R 474

106.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$40.92 R 674

70.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.25 R 745

26.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.76 R 177

51.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.19 R 118

98.61%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$261 R 4,308

475.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,633 R 59.9K

490.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$30.84 R 508

71.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$31.76 R 523

37.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$70.5 R 1,161

20.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$56.5 R 930

82.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$637 R 10.5K

199.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$425 R 6,997

200.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,358 R 22.4K

169.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$935 R 15.4K

171.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,227 R 20.2K

520.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$907 R 14.9K

248.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,427 R 23.5K

258.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.12

-32.91%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Somerset West

$425 36.5% 66.7% $849

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Somerset West

$202 17.4% 50.2% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Somerset West

$155 13.3% 56.8% $203

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Somerset West

$164 14.1% 53.6% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Somerset West

$85 7.3% 33.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Somerset West

$60 5.1% 30.5% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Somerset West

$72 6.2% 22.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $637 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 259% 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 $46.00 in Somerset West for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $202 per month, with Somerset West cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

13:03 1:03 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

55,166

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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).

ZAR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Somerset West 14,130 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Somerset West

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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Somerset West wins on cost – living expenses run 129% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Somerset West the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 259% 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 $637 in Somerset West. 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 $1,162 in Somerset West – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Somerset West runs roughly 42% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,162 in Somerset West versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Somerset West but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Somerset West 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 Somerset West 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 Somerset West gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.