Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Surigao

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $736 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Surigao
🇵🇭 Philippines
$736
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $736 in Surigao.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Surigao $736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,124 in Surigao.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Surigao $1,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,512 in Surigao.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Surigao $1,512

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 262% more expensive than in Surigao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Surigao is 45% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Surigao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$3.98 ₱251
421.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$17.81 ₱1,122
374.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$2.87 ₱181
329.27%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$1.99 ₱125
182.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$0.73 ₱45.85
409.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.32 ₱19.84
681.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$1.26 ₱79.4
538.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.13 ₱134
323.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Surigao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.62 ₱102
-30.86%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$0.98 ₱61.6
282.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$0.99 ₱62.0
229.29%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$1.94 ₱122
114.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$5.75 ₱362
124.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$4.14 ₱261
242.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$6.88 ₱433
135.76%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.07 ₱131
109.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.58 ₱99.2
-7.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.56 ₱161
76.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.17 ₱73.6
270.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.95 ₱123
32.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.76 ₱111
33.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$0.82 ₱51.5
117.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.60 ₱37.75
270.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$2.97 ₱187
232.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$6.78 ₱427
122.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.05 ₱66.3
178.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.72 ₱108
101.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Surigao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.26 ₱16.48
473.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$11.30 ₱712
269.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.66 ₱41.51
313.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.23 ₱14.66
621.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$1.87 ₱118
1787.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.32 ₱83.0
-28.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$18.7K ₱1.2M
92.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$18.0K ₱1.1M
50.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Surigao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$124 ₱7,799
84.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$15.97 ₱1,006
271.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$34.80 ₱2,191
100.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Surigao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$35.92 ₱2,262
59.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$5.18 ₱326
215.25%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$4.96 ₱313
187.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Surigao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$144 ₱9,095
942.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,892 ₱433.9K
211.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Surigao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$36.99 ₱2,329
42.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$20.93 ₱1,318
109.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$69.6 ₱4,384
21.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$49.50 ₱3,116
108.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Surigao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$243 ₱15.3K
686.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$168 ₱10.6K
657.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$461 ₱29.0K
694.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$363 ₱22.9K
598.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$2,434 ₱153.3K
212.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,108 ₱69.8K
184.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Surigao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
6.79
-

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Surigao: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Surigao
$168 86.8% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Surigao
$174 56.9% $230
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Surigao
$175 51.3% $184
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Surigao
$79 77.7% $275
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Surigao
$80 37.7% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Surigao
$46 46.6% $40
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Surigao
$14 75.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $243 in Surigao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $18.00 in Surigao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $174 per month, with Surigao cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇵🇭 Surigao
🕒 Local time
13:39 1:39 PM
02:39 2:39 AM
13 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
171,107
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Surigao 13,600 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Surigao

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 Surigao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Surigao?
Surigao wins on cost – living expenses run 262% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Surigao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Surigao?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,104 in Surigao 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Surigao?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $243 in Surigao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Surigao?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $736 in Surigao – a 262% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Surigao?
A monthly transit pass in Surigao runs roughly 269% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Surigao?
At $736 in Surigao versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surigao but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Surigao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Surigao?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Surigao?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Surigao are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Surigao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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