Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lerwick and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Lerwick: $2,368 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Lerwick
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Lerwick Living Index
129

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

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Lerwick

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,368

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Lerwick versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Lerwick $2,368
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,415 in Lerwick versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Lerwick $3,415
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,462 in Lerwick versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Lerwick $4,462
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Lerwick costs roughly 12% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lerwick 75% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £15.11

$20.63 $20.63

-2.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 £73.9

$84.6 $84.6

16.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.76

$12.07 $12.07

-14.25%

Cappuccino

$5.40 £4.05

$5.48 $5.48

-1.46%

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

$2.25 £1.69

$3.80 $3.80

-40.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.23

$2.47 $2.47

-33.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.45 £4.84

$8.05 $8.05

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 £4.40

$8.88 $8.88

-34.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.11 $1.11

39.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.27

$3.72 $3.72

-54.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.66

$3.37 $3.37

-34.42%

Eggs

$4.02 £3.02

$4.32 $4.32

-6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 £7.03

$13.13 $13.13

-28.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 £6.43

$14.15 $14.15

-39.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 £10.84

$16.33 $16.33

-11.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.27

$4.55 $4.55

-33.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.46 $1.46

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 £2.07

$4.71 $4.71

-41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.46

$4.15 $4.15

-20.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$2.58 $2.58

-29.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 £1.28

$2.35 $2.35

-27.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.95

$1.77 $1.77

-28.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 £1.16

$2.14 $2.14

-27.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.02 £18.02

$10.10 $10.10

137.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.48 £7.86

$15.19 $15.19

-31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 £2.25

$2.82 $2.82

6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.46

$3.44 $3.44

-4.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 £2.30

$1.54 $1.54

99.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.1 £62.3

$40.99 $40.99

102.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 £3.18

$2.80 $2.80

51.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 £1.76

$1.60 $1.60

46.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.03 £18.03

$34.34 $34.34

-30.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 £1.75

$0.94 $0.94

148.94%

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

$38.9K £29.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

14.41%

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

$34.5K £25.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

28.78%

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

$309 £232

$223 $223

38.99%

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

$19.33 £14.50

$58.9 $58.9

-67.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.26 £33.95

$70.6 $70.6

-35.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 £39.61

$57.7 $57.7

-8.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 £9.99

$14.26 $14.26

-6.59%

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

$1,392 £1,045

$1,511 $1,511

-7.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K £18.4K

$20.9K $20.9K

17.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 £66.5

$51.3 $51.3

72.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 £37.93

$44.17 $44.17

14.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 £66.8

$87.0 $87.0

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 £82.8

$104 $104

5.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 £834

$1,940 $1,940

-42.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £777

$1,316 $1,316

-21.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 £1,797

$3,664 $3,664

-34.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 £1,143

$2,565 $2,565

-40.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,646 £3,486

$7,354 $7,354

-36.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 £2,579

$3,129 $3,129

9.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

6.79

-25.04%

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

Last update for Lerwick: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lerwick

$1K 43.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 27.1% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lerwick

$374 15.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 5.9% $22

Eating Out

Lerwick

$317 13.4%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 10.6% $33

Groceries & Markets

Lerwick

$298 12.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 36.1% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Lerwick

$152 6.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 15.3% $23

Getting Around

Lerwick

$111 4.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 48% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Lerwick

$79 3.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 8.5% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,112 in Lerwick and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Lerwick vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $406, with Lerwick cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Lerwick

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:17 11:17 PM

17:17 5:17 PM

6 h behind Lerwick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

974,447

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lerwick Austin, TX 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lerwick
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

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

Lerwick wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lerwick the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,552 in Lerwick and $4,046 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: $1,112 in Lerwick versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,368 per month in Lerwick versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lerwick runs roughly 103% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,368 in Lerwick versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Lerwick but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lerwick 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, Lerwick 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 Lerwick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.