Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Big Bend and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Big Bend: $716 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Big Bend
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Big Bend Living Index
129

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

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Big Bend

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$716

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Big Bend 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 Big Bend and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $716 in Big Bend versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Big Bend $716
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Big Bend versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Big Bend $1,428
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,141 in Big Bend versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Big Bend $2,141
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Big Bend costs roughly 74% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Big Bend is 47% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.04 SZL 66.6

$20.22 $20.22

-80.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.58 SZL 455

$85.0 $85.0

-67.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 SZL 83.3

$12.35 $12.35

-59.11%

Cappuccino

$1.53 SZL 25.22

$5.47 $5.47

-72.03%

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

$0.77 SZL 12.61

$3.82 $3.82

-79.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 SZL 6.78

$2.50 $2.50

-83.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 SZL 25.31

$8.06 $8.06

-80.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 SZL 27.25

$8.99 $8.99

-81.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 SZL 19.92

$1.13 $1.13

7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 SZL 13.63

$3.78 $3.78

-78.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 SZL 26.42

$3.25 $3.25

-50.77%

Eggs

$4.77 SZL 78.6

$4.14 $4.14

15.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.98 SZL 296

$13.08 $13.08

37.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 SZL 199

$14.31 $14.31

-15.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.84 SZL 79.8

$15.96 $15.96

-69.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 SZL 69.7

$4.38 $4.38

-3.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 SZL 10.23

$1.45 $1.45

-57.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 SZL 31.04

$4.54 $4.54

-58.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 SZL 20.69

$4.19 $4.19

-69.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 SZL 39.14

$2.63 $2.63

-9.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 SZL 34.94

$2.36 $2.36

-10.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 SZL 15.37

$1.76 $1.76

-47.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 SZL 15.32

$2.16 $2.16

-56.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 SZL 96.2

$9.81 $9.81

-40.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.58 SZL 59.0

$14.72 $14.72

-75.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SZL 10.32

$2.78 $2.78

-77.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SZL 14.62

$3.48 $3.48

-74.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 SZL 19.74

$1.49 $1.49

-19.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.94 SZL 395

$40.51 $40.51

-40.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 SZL 29.84

$2.67 $2.67

-32.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 SZL 24.70

$1.58 $1.58

-5.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 SZL 61.2

$35.29 $35.29

-89.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 SZL 18.57

$0.99 $0.99

14.14%

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

$12.4K SZL 204.0K

$35.8K $35.8K

-65.44%

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

$18.6K SZL 306.3K

$27.2K $27.2K

-31.63%

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

$129 SZL 2,125

$219 $219

-41.21%

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

$24.47 SZL 403

$58.0 $58.0

-57.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.73 SZL 408

$68.4 $68.4

-63.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.35 SZL 302

$57.9 $57.9

-68.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.47 SZL 40.70

$14.82 $14.82

-83.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.12 SZL 51.4

$14.13 $14.13

-77.92%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.95 SZL 609

$51.7 $51.7

-28.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.81 SZL 409

$44.05 $44.05

-43.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.05 SZL 611

$85.1 $85.1

-56.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 SZL 910

$105 $105

-47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$110 SZL 1,805

$1,932 $1,932

-94.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.4 SZL 1,227

$1,272 $1,272

-94.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 SZL 18.0K

$3,670 $3,670

-70.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 SZL 12.2K

$2,525 $2,525

-70.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$200 SZL 3,291

$7,617 $7,617

-97.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$144 SZL 2,379

$3,199 $3,199

-95.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$808 SZL 13.3K

$5,105 $5,105

-84.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

32.55%

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

Last update for Big Bend: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Big Bend

$252 35.1%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 60.1% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Big Bend

$178 24.8%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 94.1% $168

Eating Out

Big Bend

$82 11.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 327% $266

Accommodation & Living

Big Bend

$74 10.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 1610% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Big Bend

$69 9.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 85.7% $59

Getting Around

Big Bend

$38 5.3%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 49.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Big Bend

$25 3.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 251% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $110 in Big Bend and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 532% 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: $28.00 in Big Bend vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $403 per month, with Big Bend cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Big Bend

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

7 h behind Big Bend

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,433

974,447

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

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

USD to SZL in detail →

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Between locations

Big Bend Austin, TX 15,120 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Big Bend
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

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

Big Bend wins on cost – living expenses run 278% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Big Bend the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 532% 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: $110 in Big Bend versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Big Bend – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Big Bend runs roughly 69% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $716 in Big Bend versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Big Bend but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Big Bend 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, Big Bend 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 Big Bend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 278% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.