Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Lipe and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Lipe: $2,083 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Koh Lipe
🇹🇭 Thailand
$2,083
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,083 in Koh Lipe versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

  • Koh Lipe $2,083
  • Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,633 in Koh Lipe versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Koh Lipe $3,633
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,183 in Koh Lipe versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

  • Koh Lipe $5,183
  • Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Koh Lipe costs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Koh Lipe 55% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koh Lipe
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.32 ฿245
$20.22 $20.22
-63.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.6 ฿1,761
$85.0 $85.0
-38.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.01 ฿469
$12.35 $12.35
13.44%
Cappuccino
$4.35 ฿146
$5.47 $5.47
-20.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 ฿50.2
$3.82 $3.82
-60.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 ฿26.36
$2.50 $2.50
-68.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.04 ฿135
$8.06 $8.06
-49.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.80 ฿194
$8.99 $8.99
-35.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koh Lipe
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 ฿71.8
$1.13 $1.13
89.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.73 ฿57.9
$3.78 $3.78
-54.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 ฿66.0
$3.25 $3.25
-39.38%
Eggs
$2.69 ฿90.0
$4.14 $4.14
-35.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.13 ฿808
$13.08 $13.08
84.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.12 ฿138
$14.31 $14.31
-71.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.94 ฿467
$15.96 $15.96
-12.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.69 ฿124
$4.38 $4.38
-15.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 ฿68.1
$1.45 $1.45
40.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 ฿94.5
$4.54 $4.54
-37.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 ฿85.7
$4.19 $4.19
-38.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.80 ฿60.4
$2.63 $2.63
-31.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 ฿57.4
$2.36 $2.36
-27.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 ฿46.15
$1.76 $1.76
-21.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.26
$2.16 $2.16
-70.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.45 ฿182
$9.81 $9.81
-44.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.53 ฿788
$14.72 $14.72
59.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 ฿72.9
$2.78 $2.78
-21.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 ฿116
$3.48 $3.48
-
🚌 Getting Around
Koh Lipe
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.43 ฿115
$1.49 $1.49
130.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$40.51 $40.51
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.50 ฿151
$2.67 $2.67
68.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 ฿53.2
$1.58 $1.58
0.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.78 ฿194
$35.29 $35.29
-83.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 ฿72.7
$0.99 $0.99
119.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.8K ฿1.4M
$35.8K $35.8K
14.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K ฿1.3M
$27.2K $27.2K
46.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Lipe
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$113 ฿3,775
$219 $219
-48.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.76 ฿427
$58.0 $58.0
-78.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.37 ฿649
$68.4 $68.4
-71.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koh Lipe
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 ฿2,171
$57.9 $57.9
12.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.63 ฿456
$14.82 $14.82
-8.03%
Cinema Ticket
$9.39 ฿314
$14.13 $14.13
-33.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koh Lipe
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$690 ฿23.1K
$1,509 $1,509
-54.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.5K ฿485.7K
$21.5K $21.5K
-32.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koh Lipe
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.9 ฿2,238
$51.7 $51.7
29.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.89 ฿1,001
$44.05 $44.05
-32.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.4 ฿3,329
$85.1 $85.1
16.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.6 ฿3,099
$105 $105
-12.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koh Lipe
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,850 ฿61.9K
$1,932 $1,932
-4.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 ฿39.2K
$1,272 $1,272
-8.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,267 ฿176.3K
$3,670 $3,670
43.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,976 ฿99.6K
$2,525 $2,525
17.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,743 ฿292.7K
$7,617 $7,617
14.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,355 ฿212.8K
$3,199 $3,199
98.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koh Lipe
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$5,105 $5,105
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.79
-17.97%

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

Last update for Koh Lipe: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Koh Lipe
$1.2K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 8.8% $103
Groceries & Markets
Koh Lipe
$334
Austin, TX
$403 20.7% $69
Eating Out
Koh Lipe
$194
Austin, TX
$348 79.6% $154
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Lipe
$145
Austin, TX
$346 139% $201
Clothing & Footwear
Koh Lipe
$130
Austin, TX
$129 0.9% $1.2
Sport & Entertainment
Koh Lipe
$84
Austin, TX
$86 3% $2.5
Getting Around
Koh Lipe
$26 *
Austin, TX
$57 118% $31

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 $1,850 in Koh Lipe and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Koh Lipe vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $403 per month, with Koh Lipe cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Koh Lipe
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
15:33 3:33 PM
03:33 3:33 AM
12 h behind Koh Lipe
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
800
974,447
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Koh Lipe Austin, TX 15,540 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Koh Lipe
  • 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
Koh Lipe vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Koh Lipe or Austin, TX?
Koh Lipe wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Koh Lipe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Koh Lipe and in Austin, TX?
You'd need roughly $3,124 in Koh Lipe and $4,055 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Koh Lipe compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,850 in Koh Lipe versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Koh Lipe and in Austin, TX?
Childcare runs $690 in Koh Lipe versus $1,509 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Koh Lipe and in Austin, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Koh Lipe – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Koh Lipe or in Austin, TX?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Koh Lipe is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Koh Lipe or Austin, TX?
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.
How safe is Koh Lipe compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Koh Lipe 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Koh Lipe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Koh Lipe vs other spots: cost of living compared

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