Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Toyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Toyama: $1,156 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Toyama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,156
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,156 in Toyama.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Toyama $1,156

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,838 in Toyama.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Toyama $1,838

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,519 in Toyama.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Toyama $2,519

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Toyama is 14% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Toyama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$3.93 ¥621
428.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$41.37 ¥6,536
104.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$5.18 ¥819
137.84%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$3.51 ¥555
60.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.04 ¥164
257.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.74 ¥117
237.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.59 ¥410
210.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$3.19 ¥504
182.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Toyama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.07 ¥169
4.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$0.77 ¥122
387.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$3.66 ¥579
-10.93%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$1.98 ¥313
110.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$10.52 ¥1,662
22.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$5.98 ¥945
136.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$14.45 ¥2,283
12.25%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$5.75 ¥909
-24.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.70 ¥426
-45.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.95 ¥467
52.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$4.20 ¥663
3.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.52 ¥398
2.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.53 ¥400
-7.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.23 ¥195
44.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.64 ¥102
246.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$3.80 ¥600
160.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$6.25 ¥988
141.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.82 ¥287
60.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.00 ¥315
73.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Toyama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.52 ¥240
-1.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$58.7 ¥9,270
-28.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.19 ¥503
-14.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.71 ¥428
-38.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$20.33 ¥3,211
73.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.11 ¥176
-14.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$21.7K ¥3.4M
65.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$18.2K ¥2.9M
49.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Toyama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$133 ¥21.0K
72.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$23.98 ¥3,788
147.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$32.22 ¥5,091
116.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Toyama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$52.9 ¥8,351
8.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$11.50 ¥1,817
24.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Toyama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$634 ¥100.2K
137.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$14.6K ¥2.3M
47.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Toyama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$61.6 ¥9,735
-14.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$37.28 ¥5,889
17.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$60.7 ¥9,583
39.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$100 ¥15.8K
2.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Toyama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$233 ¥36.8K
719.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$303 ¥47.8K
320.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,105 ¥174.6K
231.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$648 ¥102.4K
291.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$3,962 ¥625.9K
92.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,608 ¥254.1K
96.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Toyama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
2.64
157.20%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Toyama: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Toyama
$303 76.2% $971
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Toyama
$274 32.2% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Toyama
$189 47.2% $169
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Toyama
$116 67.3% $238
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Toyama
$117 8.7% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Toyama
$76 11.6% $9.9
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Toyama
$81 38.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $233 in Toyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $41.00 in Toyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $274 per month, with Toyama cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇯🇵 Toyama
🕒 Local time
04:47 4:47 AM
18:47 6:47 PM
14 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
421,259
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Toyama 10,620 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Toyama

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 Toyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Toyama?
Toyama 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 Toyama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Toyama?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,735 in Toyama 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 Toyama?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $233 in Toyama. 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 Toyama?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,156 in Toyama – 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 Toyama?
A monthly transit pass in Toyama runs roughly 41% 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 Toyama?
At $1,156 in Toyama versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toyama but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Toyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Toyama?
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 Toyama?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Toyama 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 Toyama 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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