Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibaraki: $1,130 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Ibaraki
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Ibaraki Living Index
129

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

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Ibaraki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,130

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,130 in Ibaraki versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Ibaraki $1,130
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,756 in Ibaraki versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Ibaraki $1,756
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,383 in Ibaraki versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Ibaraki $2,383
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 58% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibaraki is 17% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 ¥1,016

$20.63 $20.63

-68.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.94 ¥4,888

$84.6 $84.6

-63.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ¥781

$12.07 $12.07

-58.99%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥480

$5.48 $5.48

-44.53%

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

$1.15 ¥182

$3.80 $3.80

-69.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$2.47 $2.47

-69.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 ¥421

$8.05 $8.05

-66.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ¥499

$8.88 $8.88

-64.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.70 ¥427

$1.11 $1.11

143.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥244

$3.72 $3.72

-58.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 ¥638

$3.37 $3.37

19.88%

Eggs

$2.12 ¥334

$4.32 $4.32

-50.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ¥1,663

$13.13 $13.13

-19.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ¥1,053

$14.15 $14.15

-52.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.42 ¥2,594

$16.33 $16.33

0.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 ¥599

$4.55 $4.55

-16.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 ¥357

$1.46 $1.46

54.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥443

$4.71 $4.71

-40.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 ¥645

$4.15 $4.15

-1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ¥384

$2.58 $2.58

-5.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$2.35 $2.35

8.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ¥196

$1.77 $1.77

-29.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥134

$2.14 $2.14

-60.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ¥526

$10.10 $10.10

-67.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 ¥1,052

$15.19 $15.19

-56.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥282

$2.82 $2.82

-36.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$3.44 $3.44

-37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 ¥266

$1.54 $1.54

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.3 ¥8,582

$40.99 $40.99

32.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 ¥735

$2.80 $2.80

66.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 ¥444

$1.60 $1.60

75.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 ¥2,890

$34.34 $34.34

-46.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥178

$0.94 $0.94

20.21%

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

$21.4K ¥3.4M

$34.0K $34.0K

-37.14%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$26.8K $26.8K

-43.43%

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

$136 ¥21.5K

$223 $223

-38.94%

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

$23.88 ¥3,773

$58.9 $58.9

-59.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.10 ¥4,913

$70.6 $70.6

-55.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥8,140

$57.7 $57.7

-10.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 ¥2,046

$14.26 $14.26

-9.19%

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

$464 ¥73.3K

$1,511 $1,511

-69.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.1M

$20.9K $20.9K

-35.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.48 ¥4,184

$51.3 $51.3

-48.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.63 ¥4,997

$44.17 $44.17

-28.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 ¥10.6K

$87.0 $87.0

-22.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 ¥12.6K

$104 $104

-23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ¥63.4K

$1,940 $1,940

-79.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 ¥41.1K

$1,316 $1,316

-80.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 ¥174.2K

$3,664 $3,664

-69.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 ¥83.3K

$2,565 $2,565

-79.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,937 ¥622.0K

$7,354 $7,354

-46.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,554 ¥245.6K

$3,129 $3,129

-50.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,553 ¥403.3K

$5,286 $5,286

-51.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

6.79

-67.45%

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

Last update for Ibaraki: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ibaraki

$300 26.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 35.5% $106

Accommodation & Living

Ibaraki

$260 23%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 406% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibaraki

$191 16.9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 84.4% $161

Eating Out

Ibaraki

$130 11.5%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 169% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Ibaraki

$92 8.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 39.8% $37

Getting Around

Ibaraki

$80 7.1%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 27.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Ibaraki

$77 6.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 11.4% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Ibaraki and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 107% 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: $31.00 in Ibaraki vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $406 per month, with Ibaraki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ibaraki

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

16:49 4:49 PM

14 h behind Ibaraki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

287,730

974,447

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Ibaraki Austin, TX 10,880 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Ibaraki
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

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

Ibaraki wins on cost – living expenses run 139% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ibaraki the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 107% 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: $401 in Ibaraki versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,130 per month in Ibaraki versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 139% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ibaraki runs roughly 33% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,130 in Ibaraki versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki 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, Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.