Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bangkok and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangkok: $1,144 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,144

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bangkok and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,144 in Bangkok versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Bangkok $1,144
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,806 in Bangkok versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Bangkok $1,806
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,467 in Bangkok versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Bangkok $2,467
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Bangkok costs roughly 58% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bangkok is 15% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ฿99.1

$20.22 $20.22

-85.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 ฿1,220

$85.0 $85.0

-57.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 ฿229

$12.35 $12.35

-44.70%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.7

$5.47 $5.47

-50.09%

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

$0.63 ฿21.33

$3.82 $3.82

-83.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.23

$2.50 $2.50

-85.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 ฿87.8

$8.06 $8.06

-67.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ฿151

$8.99 $8.99

-50.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿64.0

$1.13 $1.13

68.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ฿51.0

$3.78 $3.78

-59.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 ฿47.92

$3.25 $3.25

-56.00%

Eggs

$2.49 ฿83.6

$4.14 $4.14

-39.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.59 ฿591

$13.08 $13.08

34.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿122

$14.31 $14.31

-74.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ฿443

$15.96 $15.96

-17.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 ฿135

$4.38 $4.38

-8.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ฿59.1

$1.45 $1.45

21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.5

$4.54 $4.54

-38.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿63.1

$4.19 $4.19

-55.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ฿58.6

$2.63 $2.63

-33.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.36 $2.36

-33.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ฿43.48

$1.76 $1.76

-26.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.43

$2.16 $2.16

-75.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 ฿157

$9.81 $9.81

-52.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 ฿507

$14.72 $14.72

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿62.0

$2.78 $2.78

-33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.48 $3.48

-5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ฿37.13

$1.49 $1.49

-26.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.25 ฿1,185

$40.51 $40.51

-12.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.48

$2.67 $2.67

-60.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 ฿40.81

$1.58 $1.58

-23.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 ฿202

$35.29 $35.29

-82.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿45.82

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

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

$31.0K ฿1.0M

$35.8K $35.8K

-13.34%

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

$26.7K ฿896.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.91%

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

$106 ฿3,580

$219 $219

-51.43%

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

$14.72 ฿495

$58.0 $58.0

-74.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.94 ฿603

$68.4 $68.4

-73.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 ฿1,944

$57.9 $57.9

-0.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 ฿632

$14.82 $14.82

26.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ฿251

$14.13 $14.13

-47.20%

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

$579 ฿19.5K

$1,509 $1,509

-61.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ฿546.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

-24.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 ฿2,344

$51.7 $51.7

34.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 ฿1,428

$44.05 $44.05

-3.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 ฿3,287

$85.1 $85.1

14.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ฿3,621

$105 $105

2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 ฿22.3K

$1,932 $1,932

-65.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ฿11.5K

$1,272 $1,272

-73.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 ฿66.5K

$3,670 $3,670

-46.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ฿25.0K

$2,525 $2,525

-70.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 ฿199.7K

$7,617 $7,617

-22.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,098 ฿104.2K

$3,199 $3,199

-3.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ฿21.0K

$5,105 $5,105

-87.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

6.79

-22.68%

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

Last update for Bangkok: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bangkok

$342 30.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 272% $930

Groceries & Markets

Bangkok

$277 24.7%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 45.3% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Bangkok

$143 12.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 9.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bangkok

$139 12.4%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 148% $206

Eating Out

Bangkok

$103 9.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 239% $245

Sport & Entertainment

Bangkok

$73 6.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 18.4% $13

Getting Around

Bangkok

$47 4.2%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 21.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $664 in Bangkok and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 716% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Bangkok vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $403 per month, with Bangkok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

19:36 7:36 PM

12 h behind Bangkok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,666,264 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bangkok Austin, TX 14,740 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Bangkok
Austin, TX

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

Bangkok vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangkok wins on cost – living expenses run 136% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bangkok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 716% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $664 in Bangkok versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,144 per month in Bangkok versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bangkok runs roughly 15% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,144 in Bangkok versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bangkok but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bangkok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bangkok delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,144 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bangkok hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bangkok and Austin, TX 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 Bangkok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.