Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East London and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $1,001 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index
130

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

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East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,001

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in East London versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

East London $1,001
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,632 in East London versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

East London $1,632
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,262 in East London versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

East London $2,262
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in East London costs roughly 62% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: East London is 26% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.27 R 153

$20.77 $20.77

-55.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.10 R 628

$84.6 $84.6

-54.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 R 94.4

$12.32 $12.32

-53.49%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R 34.16

$5.63 $5.63

-63.23%

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

$1.02 R 16.79

$3.72 $3.72

-72.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 12.92

$2.50 $2.50

-68.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 R 44.62

$8.05 $8.05

-66.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 R 52.1

$9.01 $9.01

-64.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.32

$1.12 $1.12

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 R 15.51

$3.75 $3.75

-74.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.99

$3.26 $3.26

-53.37%

Eggs

$2.29 R 37.81

$4.17 $4.17

-45.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 R 144

$12.90 $12.90

-32.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 R 88.3

$14.16 $14.16

-62.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 R 109

$16.22 $16.22

-59.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.49

$4.33 $4.33

-64.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.62

$1.46 $1.46

6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.68

$4.51 $4.51

-62.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.83

$4.34 $4.34

-65.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.53

$2.58 $2.58

-35.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.45

$2.35 $2.35

-39.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 R 18.49

$1.78 $1.78

-37.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.19

$2.22 $2.22

-58.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 R 47.01

$9.88 $9.88

-71.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 R 80.7

$15.08 $15.08

-67.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.79

$2.92 $2.92

-60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 15.04

$3.46 $3.46

-73.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 R 25.40

$1.49 $1.49

3.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.97 R 774

$41.72 $41.72

12.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R 19.60

$2.73 $2.73

-56.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 R 8.11

$1.66 $1.66

-70.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 R 141

$35.30 $35.30

-75.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 R 22.30

$0.95 $0.95

42.11%

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

$35.4K R 582.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-1.85%

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

$30.1K R 495.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

11.08%

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

$121 R 1,994

$229 $229

-47.15%

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

$32.82 R 541

$59.4 $59.4

-44.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.33 R 730

$69.9 $69.9

-36.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.22 R 646

$57.2 $57.2

-31.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 R 79.3

$14.28 $14.28

-66.32%

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

$176 R 2,896

$1,506 $1,506

-88.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,405 R 89.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

-74.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 R 944

$52.8 $52.8

8.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.61 R 554

$43.82 $43.82

-23.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R 1,214

$84.8 $84.8

-13.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 R 1,568

$103 $103

-7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 R 4,760

$1,907 $1,907

-84.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 R 4,219

$1,274 $1,274

-79.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 R 9,017

$3,664 $3,664

-85.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 R 10.8K

$2,538 $2,538

-74.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,657 R 27.3K

$5,121 $5,121

-67.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

62.00%

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

Last update for East London: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East London

$256 25.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 398% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East London

$198 19.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 80.8% $160

Groceries & Markets

East London

$181 18.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 123% $223

Eating Out

East London

$143 14.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 147% $211

Clothing & Footwear

East London

$117 11.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 9.5% $11

Getting Around

East London

$57 5.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 3.3% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

East London

$49 4.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 75.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $289 in East London and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 209% 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: $38.00 in East London vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $405 per month, with East London cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 East London

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

03:30 3:30 AM

7 h behind East London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,007

974,447

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

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

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

East London Austin, TX 14,920 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

East London
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

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

East London wins on cost – living expenses run 166% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making East London the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 209% 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: $289 in East London versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,001 per month in East London versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 166% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in East London runs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,001 in East London versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in East London but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes East London 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.

Expats usually find East London gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.