Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Thames

For one person, living is cheaper in Thames: $1,966 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Thames
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Thames Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Thames

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,966 in Thames.

Austin, TX $2,663
Thames $1,966

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,999 in Thames.

Austin, TX $4,133
Thames $2,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,032 in Thames.

Austin, TX $5,603
Thames $4,032

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 35% more expensive than in Thames, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Thames 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.93 NZ$24.63

49.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$68.4 NZ$121

23.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.89 NZ$15.72

38.58%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.42 NZ$6.06

64.62%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.02 NZ$3.57

84.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.74 NZ$3.08

43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.88 NZ$12.16

17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.73 NZ$11.90

33.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.22 NZ$3.93

68.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.79 NZ$3.16

82.12%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$6.20 NZ$10.97

-32.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.79 NZ$15.55

46.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.68 NZ$17.11

46.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.82 NZ$29.74

-3.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.80 NZ$4.95

54.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.16 NZ$3.82

-32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.91 NZ$5.14

54.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.75 NZ$10.17

-24.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.13 NZ$3.77

21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.52 NZ$2.69

54.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.98 NZ$3.50

-10.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.04 NZ$1.84

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$26.57 NZ$46.99

-62.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.25 NZ$18.12

47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.84 NZ$5.02

2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.38 NZ$5.98

2.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.45 NZ$2.56

2.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$75.4 NZ$133

-44.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.30 NZ$4.06

18.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.92 NZ$3.40

-13.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$32.20 NZ$56.9

9.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-49.20%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$25.1K NZ$44.5K

43.34%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

24.81%

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

$229 $229

$183 NZ$324

24.80%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$26.20 NZ$46.33

126.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$50.7 NZ$89.6

38.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.84 NZ$74.0

36.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.10 NZ$23.17

9.01%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,135 NZ$2,007

32.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$19.2K NZ$34.0K

11.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$79.2 NZ$140

-33.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$39.93 NZ$70.6

9.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$92.3 NZ$163

-8.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$111 NZ$197

-7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$930 NZ$1,645

105.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$821 NZ$1,451

55.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,484 NZ$2,624

146.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,486 NZ$2,629

70.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,552 NZ$8,050

67.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,773 NZ$6,673

-16.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.37

26.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Thames: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Thames

$821 41.7% 35.6% $453

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Thames

$337 17.1% 16.8% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Thames

$260 13.2% 27.3% $98

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Thames

$242 12.3% 31.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Thames

$145 7.4% 13.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Thames

$68 3.5% 20.7% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Thames

$93 4.7% 58.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $930 in Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $68.0 in Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $337 per month, with Thames cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇿 Thames

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

11:46 11:46 AM

18 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,500

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Thames 11,720 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Thames

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 Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thames wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thames the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,949 in Thames 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $930 in Thames. 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 $1,966 in Thames – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Thames runs roughly 81% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,966 in Thames versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thames but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Thames 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 Thames 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 Thames gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.