Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Suginami-ku

For one person, living is cheaper in Suginami-ku: $1,256 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Suginami-ku
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Suginami-ku Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Suginami-ku

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Suginami-ku

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 Suginami-ku actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,256 in Suginami-ku.

Austin, TX $2,663
Suginami-ku $1,256

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,994 in Suginami-ku.

Austin, TX $4,133
Suginami-ku $1,994

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,732 in Suginami-ku.

Austin, TX $5,603
Suginami-ku $2,732

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 112% more expensive than in Suginami-ku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Suginami-ku is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.34 ¥1,002

227.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$40.62 ¥6,418

108.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.12 ¥810

140.63%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.47 ¥548

62.25%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.05 ¥166

254.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.78 ¥124

220.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.56 ¥404

214.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.18 ¥503

183.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.44 ¥227

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.70 ¥269

120.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.65 ¥576

-10.68%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.97 ¥312

111.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.52 ¥1,661

22.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.99 ¥946

136.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.18 ¥2,241

14.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.81 ¥917

-25.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.75 ¥434

-46.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.80 ¥442

61.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.08 ¥645

6.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.65 ¥418

-2.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.64 ¥416

-10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.23 ¥194

44.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.81 ¥128

174.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.82 ¥604

158.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.48 ¥1,024

132.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.79 ¥283

63.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.03 ¥320

70.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.39 ¥219

7.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$46.37 ¥7,326

-10.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.21 ¥508

-14.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.76 ¥435

-39.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.79 ¥3,285

69.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 ¥175

-14.41%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.0K ¥3.3M

71.76%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.1K ¥2.9M

49.92%

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

$229 $229

$130 ¥20.6K

75.55%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.89 ¥3,774

148.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.49 ¥4,974

122.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$58.1 ¥9,175

-1.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.85 ¥2,030

11.13%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$631 ¥99.7K

138.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

44.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$61.4 ¥9,697

-13.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$36.64 ¥5,789

19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$60.3 ¥9,528

40.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$102 ¥16.1K

0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$477 ¥75.3K

300.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$377 ¥59.6K

237.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$979 ¥154.7K

274.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$803 ¥126.9K

215.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,685 ¥740.1K

62.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,700 ¥268.6K

85.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,799 ¥442.2K

82.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

239.50%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Suginami-ku

$377 30% 70.4% $897

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Suginami-ku

$289 23% 28.6% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Suginami-ku

$186 14.8% 48.1% $172

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Suginami-ku

$134 10.7% 62.1% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Suginami-ku

$117 9.3% 8.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Suginami-ku

$84 6.7% 2.4% $2

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Suginami-ku

$69 5.5% 17.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $477 in Suginami-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 83% 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 $41.00 in Suginami-ku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $289 per month, with Suginami-ku cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Suginami-ku

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

10:43 10:43 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

540,180

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Suginami-ku 10,540 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Suginami-ku

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 Suginami-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suginami-ku wins on cost – living expenses run 112% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Suginami-ku the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 83% 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 $477 in Suginami-ku. 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 $1,256 in Suginami-ku – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Suginami-ku runs roughly 11% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,256 in Suginami-ku versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suginami-ku but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku 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 Suginami-ku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.