Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Springs

For one person, living is cheaper in Springs: $978 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Springs
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Springs Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Springs

🇿🇦 South Africa

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $978 in Springs.

Austin, TX $2,663
Springs $978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,592 in Springs.

Austin, TX $4,133
Springs $1,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,207 in Springs.

Austin, TX $5,603
Springs $2,207

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 172% more expensive than in Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Springs is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.81 R 145

135.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$36.24 R 597

133.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.23 R 86.1

135.56%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.31 R 38.01

143.72%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.96 R 15.82

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.69 R 11.41

262.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.84 R 30.23

337.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.08 R 34.21

333.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.19 R 19.61

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.03 R 16.96

264.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.81 R 29.89

80.11%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.46 R 40.51

69.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.30 R 137

55.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.07 R 83.6

179.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.18 R 118

125.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.29 R 21.30

235.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.10 R 18.09

32.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.72 R 28.40

162.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.21 R 19.95

258.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.13 R 18.57

128.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.18 R 19.49

99.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.22 R 20.12

45.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.79 R 13.06

181.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.13 R 51.6

215.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$3.92 R 64.6

284.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.14 R 18.71

156.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.64 R 27.06

110.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.31 R 5.17

780.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.75 R 12.38

121.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$14.38 R 237

145.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.46 R 24.05

-34.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.7K R 588.6K

0.90%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.1K R 545.4K

-18.22%

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

$229 $229

$152 R 2,507

50.48%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$37.01 R 610

60.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$35.97 R 593

94.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.74 R 655

44.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.43 R 122

92.19%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$91.3 R 1,505

1548.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,809 R 29.8K

1086.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$53.2 R 877

-0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$32.51 R 536

34.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$92.3 R 1,520

-8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$83.3 R 1,373

23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$293 R 4,825

551.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$268 R 4,420

374.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$736 R 12.1K

397.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$707 R 11.7K

258.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,483 R 24.4K

413.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$688 R 11.3K

358.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,143 R 18.8K

348.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.75

-36.84%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Springs: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Springs

$268 27.4% 78.9% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Springs

$174 17.8% 57% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Springs

$225 23% 37.2% $133

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Springs

$134 13.7% 62.2% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Springs

$118 12% 8.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Springs

$55 5.6% 36.4% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Springs

$4.1 * 0.4% 93.1% $55

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 $293 in Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 348% 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 $36.00 in Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $174 per month, with Springs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇿🇦 Springs

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

14:19 2:19 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,996

💱 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 Springs 14,770 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Springs

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 Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Springs wins on cost – living expenses run 172% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Springs the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 348% 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 $293 in Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $91.3 in Springs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Springs – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Springs versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Springs but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Springs 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.

Expats usually find Springs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.