Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawagoe and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawagoe: $1,084 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kawagoe
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Kawagoe Living Index
130

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

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Kawagoe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,084

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,084 in Kawagoe versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Kawagoe $1,084
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Kawagoe versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Kawagoe $1,747
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Kawagoe versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Kawagoe $2,409
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Kawagoe costs roughly 59% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kawagoe is 20% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.38 ¥1,008

$20.77 $20.77

-69.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.89 ¥6,460

$84.6 $84.6

-51.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 ¥793

$12.32 $12.32

-59.25%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥539

$5.63 $5.63

-39.43%

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

$0.93 ¥146

$3.72 $3.72

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥78.0

$2.50 $2.50

-80.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 ¥304

$8.05 $8.05

-76.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ¥417

$9.01 $9.01

-70.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥183

$1.12 $1.12

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥203

$3.75 $3.75

-65.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ¥566

$3.26 $3.26

10.12%

Eggs

$2.02 ¥320

$4.17 $4.17

-51.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 ¥970

$12.90 $12.90

-52.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 ¥987

$14.16 $14.16

-55.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 ¥2,318

$16.22 $16.22

-9.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 ¥887

$4.33 $4.33

29.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 ¥364

$1.46 $1.46

57.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥445

$4.51 $4.51

-37.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 ¥492

$4.34 $4.34

-28.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 ¥403

$2.58 $2.58

-1.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ¥296

$2.35 $2.35

-20.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥206

$1.78 $1.78

-26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥117

$2.22 $2.22

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥609

$9.88 $9.88

-60.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 ¥770

$15.08 $15.08

-67.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥275

$2.92 $2.92

-40.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥320

$3.46 $3.46

-41.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 ¥471

$1.49 $1.49

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 ¥8,488

$41.72 $41.72

28.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥504

$2.73 $2.73

16.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 ¥431

$1.66 $1.66

64.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.42 ¥3,226

$35.30 $35.30

-42.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

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

$15.7K ¥2.5M

$36.0K $36.0K

-56.37%

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

$12.9K ¥2.0M

$27.1K $27.1K

-52.48%

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

$131 ¥20.7K

$229 $229

-42.84%

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

$22.38 ¥3,536

$59.4 $59.4

-62.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.77 ¥5,020

$69.9 $69.9

-54.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.88 ¥6,932

$57.2 $57.2

-23.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.08 ¥5,068

$16.33 $16.33

96.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 ¥1,757

$14.28 $14.28

-22.13%

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

$315 ¥49.8K

$1,506 $1,506

-79.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,305 ¥996.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

-70.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.87 ¥5,035

$52.8 $52.8

-39.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.30 ¥5,261

$43.82 $43.82

-24.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.84 ¥6,926

$84.8 $84.8

-48.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 ¥15.2K

$103 $103

-6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 ¥65.8K

$1,907 $1,907

-78.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ¥43.1K

$1,274 $1,274

-78.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 ¥133.4K

$3,664 $3,664

-76.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥93.8K

$2,538 $2,538

-76.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,561 ¥404.5K

$7,614 $7,614

-66.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,760 ¥278.0K

$3,157 $3,157

-44.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,614 ¥255.0K

$5,121 $5,121

-68.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.6

6.79

-76.44%

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

Last update for Kawagoe: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kawagoe

$273 25.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 367% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Kawagoe

$257 23.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 57.3% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kawagoe

$185 17.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 93.6% $173

Eating Out

Kawagoe

$128 11.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 177% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Kawagoe

$92 8.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 38.6% $36

Getting Around

Kawagoe

$83 7.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 28.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Kawagoe

$66 6.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 29.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $417 in Kawagoe and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 217% 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: $41.00 in Kawagoe vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $405 per month, with Kawagoe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kawagoe

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

19:51 7:51 PM

14 h behind Kawagoe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,745

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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Kawagoe Austin, TX 10,540 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Kawagoe
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

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

Kawagoe wins on cost – living expenses run 146% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kawagoe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 217% 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: $417 in Kawagoe 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 $1,084 per month in Kawagoe versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 146% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kawagoe runs roughly 29% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,084 in Kawagoe versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawagoe but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kawagoe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kawagoe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,084 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kawagoe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kawagoe 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 Kawagoe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.