Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kurume and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurume: $965 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kurume
🇯🇵 Japan
$965
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $965 in Kurume versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Kurume $965
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,529 in Kurume versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Kurume $1,529
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,092 in Kurume versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Kurume $2,092
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Kurume costs roughly 64% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kurume is 29% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kurume
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.43 ¥700
$20.77 $20.77
-78.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.67 ¥6,900
$84.6 $84.6
-48.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.81 ¥601
$12.32 $12.32
-69.07%
Cappuccino
$1.91 ¥302
$5.63 $5.63
-66.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 ¥104
$3.72 $3.72
-82.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 ¥86.2
$2.50 $2.50
-78.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.20 ¥505
$8.05 $8.05
-60.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ¥252
$9.01 $9.01
-82.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kurume
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ¥197
$1.12 $1.12
11.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 ¥197
$3.75 $3.75
-66.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.13 ¥810
$3.26 $3.26
57.36%
Eggs
$1.88 ¥296
$4.17 $4.17
-54.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.85 ¥2,821
$12.90 $12.90
38.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.33 ¥841
$14.16 $14.16
-62.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.13 ¥3,022
$16.22 $16.22
17.94%
Apples (1kg)
$3.70 ¥584
$4.33 $4.33
-14.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 ¥296
$1.46 $1.46
28.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 ¥456
$4.51 $4.51
-35.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 ¥515
$4.34 $4.34
-24.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 ¥336
$2.58 $2.58
-17.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.63 ¥416
$2.35 $2.35
11.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.06 ¥168
$1.78 $1.78
-40.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 ¥154
$2.22 $2.22
-55.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.64 ¥575
$9.88 $9.88
-63.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.21 ¥981
$15.08 $15.08
-58.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 ¥260
$2.92 $2.92
-43.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 ¥181
$3.46 $3.46
-66.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Kurume
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.51 ¥238
$1.49 $1.49
1.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.98 ¥7,423
$41.72 $41.72
12.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.96 ¥626
$2.73 $2.73
45.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.11 ¥333
$1.66 $1.66
27.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.62 ¥2,784
$35.30 $35.30
-50.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.60 ¥94.5
$0.95 $0.95
-36.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K ¥3.4M
$36.0K $36.0K
-40.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.8K ¥2.8M
$27.1K $27.1K
-34.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kurume
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 ¥33.1K
$229 $229
-8.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.97 ¥3,944
$59.4 $59.4
-57.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.59 ¥3,570
$69.9 $69.9
-67.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kurume
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.2 ¥8,724
$57.2 $57.2
-3.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.33 $16.33
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.82 ¥1,078
$14.28 $14.28
-52.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kurume
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$127 ¥20.1K
$1,506 $1,506
-91.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.5K ¥2.0M
$21.5K $21.5K
-41.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kurume
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.62 ¥7,682
$52.8 $52.8
-7.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$12.36 ¥1,953
$43.82 $43.82
-71.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$24.78 ¥3,915
$84.8 $84.8
-70.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$31.02 ¥4,901
$103 $103
-69.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kurume
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$531 ¥83.9K
$1,907 $1,907
-72.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$126 ¥20.0K
$1,274 $1,274
-90.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$468 ¥73.9K
$3,664 $3,664
-87.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$315 ¥49.8K
$2,538 $2,538
-87.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,267 ¥674.1K
$7,614 $7,614
-43.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,883 ¥297.4K
$3,157 $3,157
-40.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kurume
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,537 ¥242.8K
$5,121 $5,121
-69.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.97
6.79
-70.99%

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

Last update for Kurume: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kurume
$299
Austin, TX
$405 35.5% $106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kurume
$257
Austin, TX
$358 39.3% $101
Accommodation & Living
Kurume
$126
Austin, TX
$1.3K 907% $1.1K
Eating Out
Kurume
$94
Austin, TX
$354 277% $260
Sport & Entertainment
Kurume
$69
Austin, TX
$86 24.6% $17
Getting Around
Kurume
$68
Austin, TX
$59 13.1% $8.8
Clothing & Footwear
Kurume
$53
Austin, TX
$128 144% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $531 in Kurume and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 233% 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: $44.00 in Kurume vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $405 per month, with Kurume cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Kurume
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
14:38 2:38 PM
00:38 12:38 AM
14 h behind Kurume
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
303,316
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kurume Austin, TX 11,310 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kurume
  • 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
Kurume vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kurume or Austin, TX?
Kurume wins on cost – living expenses run 176% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kurume the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kurume or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 233% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kurume compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $531 in Kurume versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Kurume compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $965 per month in Kurume versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 176% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Kurume compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Kurume runs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Kurume or in Austin, TX?
At $965 in Kurume versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kurume 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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