Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $516 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index
129

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

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Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$516

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Machakos versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Machakos $516
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $797 in Machakos versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Machakos $797
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,078 in Machakos versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Machakos $1,078
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Machakos costs roughly 81% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Machakos is 62% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 KES 408

$20.63 $20.63

-84.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.98 KES 2,461

$84.6 $84.6

-77.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 KES 803

$12.07 $12.07

-48.72%

Cappuccino

$1.98 KES 257

$5.48 $5.48

-63.87%

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

$0.64 KES 83.0

$3.80 $3.80

-83.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.8

$2.47 $2.47

-78.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 KES 273

$8.05 $8.05

-73.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 KES 352

$8.88 $8.88

-69.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.37 KES 48.53

$1.11 $1.11

-66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.9

$3.72 $3.72

-88.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 KES 95.4

$3.37 $3.37

-78.04%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$4.32 $4.32

-68.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 KES 1,391

$13.13 $13.13

-18.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 KES 815

$14.15 $14.15

-55.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 KES 589

$16.33 $16.33

-72.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$4.55 $4.55

-65.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 95.2

$1.46 $1.46

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.40 KES 52.4

$4.71 $4.71

-91.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 KES 53.1

$4.15 $4.15

-90.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$2.58 $2.58

-68.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$2.35 $2.35

-65.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 KES 88.4

$1.77 $1.77

-61.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 49.11

$2.14 $2.14

-82.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 455

$10.10 $10.10

-65.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 KES 1,483

$15.19 $15.19

-24.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 KES 247

$2.82 $2.82

-32.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 KES 363

$3.44 $3.44

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 KES 103

$2.80 $2.80

-71.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.60 $1.60

-51.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 KES 368

$34.34 $34.34

-91.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 KES 193

$0.94 $0.94

58.51%

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

$19.2K KES 2.5M

$34.0K $34.0K

-43.60%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$26.8K $26.8K

-19.82%

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

$56.1 KES 7,279

$223 $223

-74.79%

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

$7.82 KES 1,014

$58.9 $58.9

-86.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.48 KES 1,488

$70.6 $70.6

-83.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.18 KES 4,950

$57.7 $57.7

-33.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 KES 987

$14.26 $14.26

-46.56%

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

$45.44 KES 5,892

$1,511 $1,511

-96.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$20.9K $20.9K

-41.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.34 KES 1,470

$51.3 $51.3

-77.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 KES 3,719

$44.17 $44.17

-35.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 KES 8,991

$87.0 $87.0

-20.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.50 KES 4,992

$104 $104

-63.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 KES 12.2K

$1,940 $1,940

-95.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 KES 8,905

$1,316 $1,316

-94.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 20.0K

$3,664 $3,664

-95.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 15.0K

$2,565 $2,565

-95.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$383 KES 49.6K

$5,286 $5,286

-92.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

6.79

116.64%

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

Last update for Machakos: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machakos

$159 30.8%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 155% $247

Eating Out

Machakos

$88 17.1%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 297% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machakos

$75 14.6%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 367% $277

Accommodation & Living

Machakos

$69 13.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 1816% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Machakos

$67 12.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 93.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Machakos

$53 10.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 61.4% $33

Getting Around

Machakos

$4.7 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 1132% $53

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 $93.9 in Machakos and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1281% 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: $19.00 in Machakos vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $406 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Machakos

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:10 4:10 PM

08:10 8:10 AM

8 h behind Machakos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,109

974,447

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Machakos Austin, TX 14,300 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Machakos
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

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

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 423% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1281% 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: $93.9 in Machakos versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $45.44 in Machakos versus $1,511 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 Machakos – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $516 in Machakos versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos 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, Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 423% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.