Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index
130

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

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Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Hat Yai versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Hat Yai $731
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Hat Yai versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Hat Yai $1,300
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,870 in Hat Yai versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Hat Yai $1,870
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Hat Yai costs roughly 73% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hat Yai is 46% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿96.9

$20.77 $20.77

-86.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.67 ฿1,460

$84.6 $84.6

-48.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 ฿122

$12.32 $12.32

-70.29%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ฿96.3

$5.63 $5.63

-48.85%

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

$1.33 ฿44.34

$3.72 $3.72

-64.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.60

$2.50 $2.50

-77.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ฿60.1

$8.05 $8.05

-77.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ฿116

$9.01 $9.01

-61.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.55

$1.12 $1.12

29.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ฿41.68

$3.75 $3.75

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.28

$3.26 $3.26

-61.96%

Eggs

$2.51 ฿83.9

$4.17 $4.17

-39.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.15 ฿740

$12.90 $12.90

71.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.7

$14.16 $14.16

-84.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ฿374

$16.22 $16.22

-31.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ฿84.8

$4.33 $4.33

-41.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.10

$1.46 $1.46

-5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.3

$4.51 $4.51

-58.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ฿60.3

$4.34 $4.34

-58.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.94

$2.58 $2.58

-43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.38

$2.35 $2.35

-56.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$1.78 $1.78

-39.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.57

$2.22 $2.22

-81.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ฿146

$9.88 $9.88

-55.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 ฿502

$15.08 $15.08

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$2.92 $2.92

-39.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ฿66.4

$3.46 $3.46

-42.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ฿18.98

$1.49 $1.49

-61.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ฿41.71

$2.73 $2.73

-54.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.78

$1.66 $1.66

-31.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ฿165

$35.30 $35.30

-86.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.15

$0.95 $0.95

35.79%

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

$18.9K ฿630.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

-47.66%

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

$45.1K ฿1.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

66.64%

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

$84.4 ฿2,819

$229 $229

-63.16%

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

$11.75 ฿393

$59.4 $59.4

-80.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 ฿322

$69.9 $69.9

-86.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 ฿1,619

$57.2 $57.2

-15.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ฿471

$16.33 $16.33

-13.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ฿240

$14.28 $14.28

-49.65%

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

$562 ฿18.8K

$1,506 $1,506

-62.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿357.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-50.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ฿1,255

$52.8 $52.8

-28.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 ฿878

$43.82 $43.82

-40.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ฿2,369

$84.8 $84.8

-16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ฿3,250

$103 $103

-5.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ฿9,010

$1,907 $1,907

-85.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ฿3,576

$1,274 $1,274

-91.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$3,664 $3,664

-80.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$2,538 $2,538

-84.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.0K

$7,614 $7,614

-74.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 ฿52.9K

$3,157 $3,157

-49.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ฿15.1K

$5,121 $5,121

-91.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

6.79

-6.33%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hat Yai

$249 34.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 62.3% $155

Accommodation & Living

Hat Yai

$107 14.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 1091% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hat Yai

$106 14.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 239% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Hat Yai

$104 14.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 22.6% $24

Eating Out

Hat Yai

$92 12.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 284% $262

Sport & Entertainment

Hat Yai

$63 8.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 36.5% $23

Getting Around

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 540% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Hat Yai and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1034% 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: $44.00 in Hat Yai vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $405 per month, with Hat Yai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

15:06 3:06 PM

12 h behind Hat Yai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,802

974,447

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hat Yai Austin, TX 15,440 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Hat Yai
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

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

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 265% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1034% 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: $270 in Hat Yai versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $562 in Hat Yai versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Hat Yai versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai 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, Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 265% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.