Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilo, HI and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,862 in Hilo, HI, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. The total is higher in Hilo, HI despite lower rent and utilities.

136

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index
125

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

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Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,862

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,862 in Hilo, HI versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Hilo, HI $2,862
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,324 in Hilo, HI versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Hilo, HI $4,324
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,786 in Hilo, HI versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Hilo, HI $5,786
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Hilo, HI is roughly 10% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilo, HI 110% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.23 $21.23

$20.35 $20.35

4.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$84.7 $84.7

-7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$12.12 $12.12

-0.17%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$5.65 $5.65

2.83%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$3.68 $3.68

-20.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.36 $2.36

7.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 $6.66

$7.87 $7.87

-15.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$8.82 $8.82

-17.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.14 $1.14

52.63%

White Bread (500g)

$9.67 $9.67

$3.69 $3.69

162.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.31 $3.31

27.19%

Eggs

$6.93 $6.93

$4.15 $4.15

66.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.97 $19.97

$12.98 $12.98

53.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.69 $17.69

$13.86 $13.86

27.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.70 $29.70

$16.34 $16.34

81.76%

Apples (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$4.69 $4.69

84.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.45 $1.45

64.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$5.11 $5.11

103.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.03 $12.03

$4.52 $4.52

166.15%

Potato (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.08 $3.08

191.88%

Onion (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$2.38 $2.38

216.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.60 $5.60

$1.80 $1.80

211.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.22 $2.22

36.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$9.97 $9.97

20.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.43 $22.43

$15.05 $15.05

49.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.91 $2.91

-39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.78 $2.78

57.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.65 $1.65

-29.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.95 $0.95

48.42%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

-22.50%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.16%

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

$304 $304

$223 $223

36.43%

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

$67.7 $67.7

$58.5 $58.5

15.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$124 $124

$71.2 $71.2

74.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.57 $36.57

$53.0 $53.0

-31.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.40 $25.40

$16.75 $16.75

51.64%

Cinema Ticket

$13.05 $13.05

$14.06 $14.06

-7.18%

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

$1,459 $1,459

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.09 $38.09

$52.5 $52.5

-27.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.52 $30.52

$42.75 $42.75

-28.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 $66.1

$86.4 $86.4

-23.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 $84.3

$104 $104

-18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 $1,485

$2,112 $2,112

-29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 $1,139

$1,230 $1,230

-7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 $2,369

$3,863 $3,863

-38.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 $2,084

$2,407 $2,407

-13.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,660 $5,660

$7,426 $7,426

-23.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,632 $4,632

$3,060 $3,060

51.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,810 $4,810

$5,179 $5,179

-7.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.82

-2.93%

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

Last update for Hilo, HI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilo, HI

$1.1K 39.8%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 8.1% $92

Groceries & Markets

Hilo, HI

$710 * 24.8%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 42.3% $300

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilo, HI

$496 17.3%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 28.9% $143

Eating Out

Hilo, HI

$346 12.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 0.7% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Hilo, HI

$99 3.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 30.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Hilo, HI

$63 2.2%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 29.5% $18

Getting Around

Hilo, HI

$10 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 454% $46

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 $1,485 in Hilo, HI and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79 in Hilo, HI vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $710 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:13 11:13 PM

04:13 4:13 AM

5 h ahead of Hilo, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,186

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hilo, HI Austin, TX 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilo, HI
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Hilo, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Hilo, HI. 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: $1,485 in Hilo, HI versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,862 per month in Hilo, HI versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Hilo, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.