Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Tottori

For one person, living is cheaper in Tottori: $1,174 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Tottori
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,174
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,174 in Tottori.

  • Austin, TX $2,698
  • Tottori $1,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,879 in Tottori.

  • Austin, TX $4,160
  • Tottori $1,879

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,584 in Tottori.

  • Austin, TX $5,622
  • Tottori $2,584

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 130% more expensive than in Tottori, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Tottori is 13% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Tottori
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.63 $20.63
$9.48 ¥1,498
117.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$32.02 ¥5,059
164.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$4.97 ¥786
142.86%
Cappuccino
$5.48 $5.48
$3.25 ¥513
68.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 $3.80
$0.88 ¥139
331.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.74 ¥116
233.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$3.06 ¥484
163.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.88 $8.88
$5.70 ¥901
55.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Tottori
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.51 ¥239
-26.49%
White Bread (500g)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.00 ¥159
272.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.37 $3.37
$5.67 ¥895
-40.56%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$2.05 ¥323
110.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$8.58 ¥1,356
53.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.15 $14.15
$7.17 ¥1,132
97.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$11.67 ¥1,843
39.93%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$4.24 ¥670
7.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.23 ¥352
-34.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$4.60 ¥727
2.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.36 ¥531
23.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.86 ¥294
38.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.66 ¥262
41.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.19 ¥188
48.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$0.90 ¥142
137.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.10 $10.10
$3.77 ¥595
167.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$7.71 ¥1,217
97.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.62 ¥257
74.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$2.54 ¥401
35.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Tottori
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.08 ¥171
42.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.99 $40.99
$54.2 ¥8,556
-24.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 $2.80
$3.27 ¥517
-14.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
$3.88 ¥614
-58.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.34 $34.34
$12.25 ¥1,936
180.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.05 ¥167
-10.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K $34.0K
$20.9K ¥3.3M
62.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$14.9K ¥2.3M
80.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Tottori
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$102 ¥16.1K
118.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$24.06 ¥3,801
144.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$31.13 ¥4,918
126.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Tottori
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 $57.7
$52.0 ¥8,209
11.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.53 $16.53
$12.73 ¥2,010
29.85%
Cinema Ticket
$14.26 $14.26
$12.06 ¥1,905
18.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Tottori
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,511 $1,511
$322 ¥50.8K
369.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K $20.9K
$6,609 ¥1.0M
216.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Tottori
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$34.45 ¥5,442
48.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.17 $44.17
$23.36 ¥3,690
89.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$49.17 ¥7,768
76.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$96.0 ¥15.2K
8.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Tottori
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,940 $1,940
$272 ¥42.9K
614.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 $1,316
$330 ¥52.2K
298.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,117 ¥176.5K
227.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,565 $2,565
$743 ¥117.4K
245.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,354 $7,354
$4,580 ¥723.6K
60.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,129 $3,129
$1,833 ¥289.6K
70.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Tottori
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,286 $5,286
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
1.74
290.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tottori: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Tottori
$330 74.9% $986
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$406
Tottori
$275 32.1% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$352
Tottori
$157 55.4% $195
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$350
Tottori
$163 53.5% $187
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Tottori
$91 29.2% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Tottori
$76 11.8% $10
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$58
Tottori
$81 40.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $272 in Tottori. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $32.00 in Tottori for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $275 per month, with Tottori cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇯🇵 Tottori
🕒 Local time
14:24 2:24 PM
04:24 4:24 AM
14 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
193,717
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Tottori 10,910 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Tottori

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 Tottori: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Tottori?
Tottori wins on cost – living expenses run 130% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tottori the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Tottori?
You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $1,761 in Tottori 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 Tottori?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $272 in Tottori. 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 Tottori?
All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,174 in Tottori – a 130% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Tottori?
A monthly transit pass in Tottori runs roughly 32% 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 Tottori?
At $1,174 in Tottori versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tottori but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Tottori the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Tottori?
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 Tottori?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Tottori 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 Tottori gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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