Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lubumbashi and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Lubumbashi: $1,228 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Lubumbashi
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Lubumbashi Living Index
130

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

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Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,228

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Lubumbashi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Lubumbashi $1,228
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,727 in Lubumbashi versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Lubumbashi $2,727
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,226 in Lubumbashi versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Lubumbashi $4,226
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Lubumbashi costs roughly 54% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lubumbashi is 9% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 CDF 22.5K

$20.77 $20.77

-52.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 CDF 224.6K

$84.6 $84.6

17.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 CDF 22.5K

$12.32 $12.32

-19.48%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CDF 9,131

$5.63 $5.63

-28.42%

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

$1.08 CDF 2,458

$3.72 $3.72

-70.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 CDF 4,508

$8.05 $8.05

-75.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 CDF 5,756

$9.01 $9.01

-71.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CDF 4,446

$1.12 $1.12

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 CDF 2,764

$3.75 $3.75

-67.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CDF 7,204

$3.26 $3.26

-2.45%

Eggs

$2.10 CDF 4,761

$4.17 $4.17

-49.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.77 CDF 33.5K

$12.90 $12.90

14.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 CDF 17.4K

$14.16 $14.16

-45.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 CDF 35.2K

$16.22 $16.22

-4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

$4.33 $4.33

14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 CDF 6,960

$1.46 $1.46

110.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 CDF 11.1K

$4.51 $4.51

8.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 CDF 6,745

$4.34 $4.34

-31.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CDF 5,810

$2.58 $2.58

-0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CDF 6,020

$2.35 $2.35

13.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CDF 2,220

$1.78 $1.78

-44.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CDF 2,774

$2.22 $2.22

-45.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 CDF 9,227

$9.88 $9.88

-58.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 CDF 28.8K

$15.08 $15.08

-15.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CDF 2,600

$2.92 $2.92

-60.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CDF 4,719

$3.46 $3.46

-39.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 CDF 2,289

$1.49 $1.49

-32.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 CDF 10.1K

$2.73 $2.73

63.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.87 CDF 22.4K

$35.30 $35.30

-72.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 CDF 3,361

$0.95 $0.95

55.79%

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

$25.1K CDF 56.8M

$36.0K $36.0K

-30.50%

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

$30.6K CDF 69.3M

$27.1K $27.1K

12.94%

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

$99.9 CDF 226.3K

$229 $229

-56.38%

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

$20.13 CDF 45.6K

$59.4 $59.4

-66.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 CDF 136.6K

$69.9 $69.9

-13.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 CDF 166.8K

$57.2 $57.2

28.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

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

$132 CDF 297.9K

$1,506 $1,506

-91.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,456 CDF 10.1M

$21.5K $21.5K

-79.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.35 CDF 50.6K

$52.8 $52.8

-57.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.55 CDF 51.1K

$43.82 $43.82

-48.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 CDF 133.9K

$84.8 $84.8

-30.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 CDF 196.0K

$103 $103

-16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 CDF 2.0M

$1,907 $1,907

-54.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 CDF 851.7K

$1,274 $1,274

-70.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 CDF 5.7M

$3,664 $3,664

-31.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 CDF 4.6M

$2,538 $2,538

-19.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,012 CDF 2.3M

$7,614 $7,614

-86.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$499 CDF 1.1M

$3,157 $3,157

-84.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 CDF 2.4M

$5,121 $5,121

-79.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Lubumbashi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lubumbashi

$376 30.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 239% $898

Groceries & Markets

Lubumbashi

$327 26.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 23.8% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lubumbashi

$180 14.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 98.7% $178

Eating Out

Lubumbashi

$177 * 14.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 100% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Lubumbashi

$86 7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 49.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Lubumbashi

$74 * 6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 16.5% $12

Getting Around

Lubumbashi

$8.5 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 590% $50

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 $862 in Lubumbashi and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 381% 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: $99.0 in Lubumbashi vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $405, with Lubumbashi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇩 Lubumbashi

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

7 h behind Lubumbashi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,139,064

974,447

💱 Currency

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CDF – Congolese Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇩 Congolese Franc (Fr)

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CDF in detail →

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Lubumbashi Austin, TX 14,030 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Lubumbashi
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

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

Lubumbashi wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lubumbashi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 381% 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: $862 in Lubumbashi versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $132 in Lubumbashi versus $1,506 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 Lubumbashi – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,228 in Lubumbashi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lubumbashi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lubumbashi 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.

Expats usually find Lubumbashi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.