Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cardiff: $2,463 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Cardiff
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Cardiff Living Index
129

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

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Cardiff

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,463

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,463 in Cardiff versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Cardiff $2,463
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,467 in Cardiff versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cardiff $3,467
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,470 in Cardiff versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Cardiff $4,470
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Cardiff costs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cardiff 84% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.59 £14.80

$20.22 $20.22

-3.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 £62.4

$85.0 $85.0

-2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 £8.11

$12.35 $12.35

-13.12%

Cappuccino

$4.60 £3.47

$5.47 $5.47

-15.90%

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

$2.98 £2.25

$3.82 $3.82

-21.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.51

$2.50 $2.50

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 £5.88

$8.06 $8.06

-3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 £4.85

$8.99 $8.99

-28.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.30

$1.13 $1.13

52.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 £1.11

$3.78 $3.78

-61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.70

$3.25 $3.25

-30.77%

Eggs

$3.72 £2.81

$4.14 $4.14

-10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 £6.93

$13.08 $13.08

-29.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 £6.61

$14.31 $14.31

-38.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 £12.31

$15.96 $15.96

2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 £2.12

$4.38 $4.38

-35.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.16

$1.45 $1.45

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 £2.25

$4.54 $4.54

-34.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 £2.76

$4.19 $4.19

-12.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 £1.43

$2.63 $2.63

-27.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.12

$2.36 $2.36

-37.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 £0.84

$1.76 $1.76

-36.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.23

$2.16 $2.16

-24.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.34 £17.64

$9.81 $9.81

137.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 £8.44

$14.72 $14.72

-24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.35

$2.78 $2.78

11.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.52

$3.48 $3.48

-4.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 £2.50

$1.49 $1.49

121.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.6 £59.4

$40.51 $40.51

94.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 £3.45

$2.67 $2.67

70.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.31

$1.58 $1.58

10.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.83 £27.08

$35.29 $35.29

1.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.62

$0.99 $0.99

116.16%

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

$37.8K £28.6K

$35.8K $35.8K

5.70%

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

$41.3K £31.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

51.80%

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

$343 £259

$219 $219

56.58%

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

$25.85 £19.54

$58.0 $58.0

-55.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.95

$68.4 $68.4

-36.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.02 £28.73

$57.9 $57.9

-34.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 £8.70

$14.82 $14.82

-22.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 £8.05

$14.13 $14.13

-24.63%

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

$1,978 £1,495

$1,509 $1,509

31.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.8K £24.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

53.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 £75.6

$51.7 $51.7

93.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.31 £35.75

$44.05 $44.05

7.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 £90.6

$85.1 $85.1

40.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 £75.0

$105 $105

-5.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 £875

$1,932 $1,932

-40.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 £829

$1,272 $1,272

-13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 £1,651

$3,670 $3,670

-40.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 £1,144

$2,525 $2,525

-40.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,353 £4,045

$7,617 $7,617

-29.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,479 £2,629

$3,199 $3,199

8.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,223 £2,435

$5,105 $5,105

-36.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

6.79

-24.74%

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

Last update for Cardiff: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cardiff

$1.1K 44.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 16% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cardiff

$413 16.8%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 16.3% $67

Eating Out

Cardiff

$316 12.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 10.2% $32

Groceries & Markets

Cardiff

$307 12.5%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 31.4% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Cardiff

$165 6.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 22% $36

Getting Around

Cardiff

$105 4.3%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 45.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Cardiff

$59 2.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 45.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,158 in Cardiff and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 58% 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: $83.0 in Cardiff vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $403 per month, with Cardiff cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Cardiff

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

22:22 10:22 PM

6 h behind Cardiff

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

346,100

974,447

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

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

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cardiff Austin, TX 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cardiff
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

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

Cardiff wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cardiff the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 58% 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: $1,158 in Cardiff 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 $2,463 per month in Cardiff versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cardiff runs roughly 94% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,463 in Cardiff versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cardiff but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cardiff the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cardiff delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,463 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cardiff hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cardiff 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 Cardiff gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.