Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Tromso

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,073 in Tromso, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. The total is higher in Tromso despite lower rent and utilities.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Tromso
Learn more

Tromso Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Tromso

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,073 in Tromso.

Austin, TX $2,663
Tromso $3,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,616 in Tromso.

Austin, TX $4,133
Tromso $4,616

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,158 in Tromso.

Austin, TX $5,603
Tromso $6,158

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 13% less than in Tromso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Tromso 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$34.24 NOK 322

-39.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$103 NOK 974

-18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$15.60 NOK 147

-21.03%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.77 NOK 63.7

-16.84%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$4.78 NOK 45.00

-22.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.69 NOK 34.75

-32.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$12.57 NOK 118

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$13.64 NOK 128

-33.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.49 NOK 23.48

-55.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.26 NOK 30.72

15.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.92 NOK 36.91

-16.84%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.18 NOK 48.80

-19.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.61 NOK 109

11.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$14.85 NOK 140

-4.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$40.81 NOK 384

-60.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.96 NOK 37.24

9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.92 NOK 27.46

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.35 NOK 50.3

-15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.07 NOK 57.2

-28.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.53 NOK 33.27

-26.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.89 NOK 46.02

-51.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.98 NOK 28.07

-40.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.09 NOK 19.67

6.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$16.36 NOK 154

-39.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$17.30 NOK 163

-12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.94 NOK 37.07

-25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.66 NOK 43.91

-25.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$5.03 NOK 47.39

-70.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$67.0 NOK 631

-37.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$15.40 NOK 145

-82.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.04 NOK 19.21

-18.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$56.6 NOK 533

-37.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.33 NOK 21.93

-59.23%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$48.3K NOK 454.8K

-25.38%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$43.5K NOK 409.1K

-37.70%

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

$229 $229

$253 NOK 2,383

-9.54%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$49.95 NOK 470

18.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$82.3 NOK 775

-15.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$50.5 NOK 475

13.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$46.87 NOK 441

-65.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.44 NOK 164

-18.12%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$313 NOK 2,949

380.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,407 NOK 69.7K

189.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$65.6 NOK 617

-19.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.36 NOK 333

23.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$145 NOK 1,361

-41.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$163 NOK 1,538

-36.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,566 NOK 14.7K

21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,244 NOK 11.7K

2.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,786 NOK 26.2K

31.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,027 NOK 19.1K

25.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$6,960 NOK 65.5K

9.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,271 NOK 49.6K

-40.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,125 NOK 38.8K

24.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.01

35.53%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tromso: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Tromso

$1.2K 40.5% 2.3% $30

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Tromso

$536 17.4% 32.4% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Tromso

$385 12.5% 7.6% $27

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Tromso

$526 17.1% 48.6% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Tromso

$184 6% 43.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Tromso

$85 2.8% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Tromso

$113 3.7% 92.1% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,566 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $103 in Tromso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $536 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇴 Tromso

🕒 Local time

11:53 11:53 AM

18:53 6:53 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

78,908

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

NOK to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Tromso 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Tromso

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 Tromso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Tromso. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% 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 $1,566 in Tromso. 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 $3,073 in Tromso – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 61% less than in Tromso. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Tromso 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.