Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kauai, Hawaii and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Kauai, Hawaii and in Austin, TX: $2,605 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

127

Cost of Living Index in Kauai, Hawaii
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Kauai, Hawaii Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

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Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,605 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Kauai, Hawaii $2,605
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,851 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Kauai, Hawaii $3,851
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,097 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Kauai, Hawaii $5,097
Austin, TX $5,454

Monthly costs are close between Kauai, Hawaii and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kauai, Hawaii 91% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 $19.36

$20.35 $20.35

-4.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$84.7 $84.7

-10.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 $10.98

$12.12 $12.12

-9.41%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$5.65 $5.65

-12.39%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$3.68 $3.68

-31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.36 $2.36

-17.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$7.87 $7.87

-22.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$8.82 $8.82

-20.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.14 $1.14

-13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.69 $3.69

-5.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.31 $3.31

29.00%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$4.15 $4.15

-1.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$12.98 $12.98

-4.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$13.86 $13.86

-17.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$16.34 $16.34

-4.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.69 $4.69

1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.45 $1.45

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$5.11 $5.11

-14.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.52 $4.52

1.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.08 $3.08

-6.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.38 $2.38

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.80 $1.80

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.22 $2.22

-2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$9.97 $9.97

-5.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 $13.83

$15.05 $15.05

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.91 $2.91

-39.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.33 $3.33

3.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.22 $1.22

68.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.5 $55.5

$40.53 $40.53

36.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.78 $2.78

27.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.65 $1.65

-4.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.13 $29.13

$35.39 $35.39

-17.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.95 $0.95

-11.58%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$34.2K $34.2K

-14.38%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.10%

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

$185 $185

$223 $223

-17.19%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$58.5 $58.5

-7.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$71.2 $71.2

-4.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.26 $43.26

$53.0 $53.0

-18.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 $13.53

$14.06 $14.06

-3.77%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$1,459 $1,459

-12.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$21.3K $21.3K

8.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$52.5 $52.5

-4.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.37 $39.37

$42.75 $42.75

-7.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 $85.0

$86.4 $86.4

-1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$104 $104

8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$2,112 $2,112

-24.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$1,230 $1,230

7.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,647 $2,647

$3,863 $3,863

-31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$2,407 $2,407

-5.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

$7,426 $7,426

-62.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$3,060 $3,060

-18.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.82

-4.55%

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

Last update for Kauai, Hawaii: 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

Kauai, Hawaii

$1.3K 51%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 7.4% $98

Groceries & Markets

Kauai, Hawaii

$385 14.8%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 6.3% $24

Eating Out

Kauai, Hawaii

$309 11.9%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 12.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kauai, Hawaii

$307 11.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 15% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Kauai, Hawaii

$129 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 0.5% $0.6

Getting Around

Kauai, Hawaii

$75 2.9%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 24.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Kauai, Hawaii

$70 2.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 15.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Kauai, Hawaii vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $410 per month, with Kauai, Hawaii cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

02:23 2:23 AM

5 h ahead of Kauai, Hawaii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,610

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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Between locations

Kauai, Hawaii Austin, TX 6,160 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kauai, Hawaii
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

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

You’d need roughly $3,907 in Kauai, Hawaii and $3,911 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,605 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,282 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,459 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 Kauai, Hawaii – a meal for two runs $76 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kauai, Hawaii 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.