Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlstad and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlstad: $1,713 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index
130

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

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Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,713

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Karlstad versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Karlstad $1,713
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,643 in Karlstad versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Karlstad $2,643
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,572 in Karlstad versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Karlstad $3,572
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Karlstad costs roughly 36% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlstad 27% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 SEK 148

$20.77 $20.77

-27.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 SEK 775

$84.6 $84.6

-7.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 SEK 95.7

$12.32 $12.32

-21.59%

Cappuccino

$4.80 SEK 47.60

$5.63 $5.63

-14.74%

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

$2.54 SEK 25.21

$3.72 $3.72

-31.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SEK 20.98

$2.50 $2.50

-15.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.69 SEK 76.2

$8.05 $8.05

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 SEK 63.9

$9.01 $9.01

-28.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 SEK 15.00

$1.12 $1.12

34.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 28.64

$3.75 $3.75

-22.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 SEK 36.48

$3.26 $3.26

12.88%

Eggs

$4.50 SEK 44.60

$4.17 $4.17

7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 SEK 97.5

$12.90 $12.90

-23.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.17 SEK 140

$14.16 $14.16

0.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 SEK 178

$16.22 $16.22

10.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.95

$4.33 $4.33

-34.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 26.12

$1.46 $1.46

80.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 30.57

$4.51 $4.51

-31.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 SEK 50.4

$4.34 $4.34

17.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 SEK 18.88

$2.58 $2.58

-25.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.58

$2.35 $2.35

-28.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 SEK 25.90

$1.78 $1.78

46.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.95

$2.22 $2.22

-40.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 SEK 68.3

$9.88 $9.88

-30.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 SEK 97.7

$15.08 $15.08

-34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.46

$2.92 $2.92

-18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SEK 20.69

$3.46 $3.46

-39.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 SEK 31.32

$1.49 $1.49

112.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 SEK 792

$41.72 $41.72

91.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 SEK 53.7

$2.73 $2.73

98.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 SEK 13.16

$1.66 $1.66

-19.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.5 SEK 609

$35.30 $35.30

74.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.50

$0.95 $0.95

86.32%

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

$32.2K SEK 319.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

-10.58%

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

$32.7K SEK 323.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

20.72%

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

$101 SEK 1,001

$229 $229

-55.87%

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

$15.82 SEK 157

$59.4 $59.4

-73.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.59 SEK 442

$69.9 $69.9

-36.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.52 SEK 441

$57.2 $57.2

-22.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 SEK 168

$16.33 $16.33

3.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 SEK 138

$14.28 $14.28

-2.59%

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

$123 SEK 1,223

$1,506 $1,506

-91.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,039

$52.8 $52.8

98.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.98 SEK 386

$43.82 $43.82

-11.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 SEK 728

$84.8 $84.8

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 SEK 1,403

$103 $103

37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 SEK 8,264

$1,907 $1,907

-56.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 SEK 5,617

$1,274 $1,274

-55.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 SEK 11.4K

$3,664 $3,664

-68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 SEK 8,528

$2,538 $2,538

-66.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,710 SEK 36.8K

$7,614 $7,614

-51.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,794 SEK 27.7K

$3,157 $3,157

-11.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,220 SEK 31.9K

$5,121 $5,121

-37.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.79

-44.04%

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

Last update for Karlstad: 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

Karlstad

$567 33.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 125% $707

Groceries & Markets

Karlstad

$370 21.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 9.4% $35

Eating Out

Karlstad

$276 16.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 28% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karlstad

$161 9.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 122% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Karlstad

$161 9.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 20.8% $34

Getting Around

Karlstad

$105 6.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 43.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Karlstad

$72 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 18.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $834 in Karlstad and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 59% 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: $78.0 in Karlstad vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $370 vs $405 per month, with Karlstad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

08:14 8:14 AM

7 h behind Karlstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,797

974,447

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

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

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karlstad Austin, TX 8,240 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Karlstad
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

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

Karlstad wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karlstad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 59% 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: $834 in Karlstad 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 $1,713 per month in Karlstad versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karlstad runs roughly 91% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,713 in Karlstad versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Karlstad but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Karlstad 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, Karlstad 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 Karlstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.