Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbabane and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbabane: $747 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Mbabane
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Mbabane Living Index
129

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

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Mbabane

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$747

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $747 in Mbabane versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Mbabane $747
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,223 in Mbabane versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Mbabane $1,223
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,700 in Mbabane versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Mbabane $1,700
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Mbabane costs roughly 72% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mbabane is 44% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.27 SZL 169

$20.22 $20.22

-49.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.04 SZL 561

$85.0 $85.0

-59.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 SZL 94.6

$12.35 $12.35

-53.52%

Cappuccino

$2.62 SZL 43.16

$5.47 $5.47

-52.10%

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

$1.12 SZL 18.41

$3.82 $3.82

-70.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 SZL 10.21

$2.50 $2.50

-75.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SZL 35.58

$8.06 $8.06

-73.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 SZL 40.46

$8.99 $8.99

-72.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SZL 25.29

$1.13 $1.13

35.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 SZL 13.34

$3.78 $3.78

-78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 SZL 28.82

$3.25 $3.25

-46.15%

Eggs

$1.78 SZL 29.32

$4.14 $4.14

-57.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 SZL 181

$13.08 $13.08

-15.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 SZL 92.3

$14.31 $14.31

-60.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 SZL 82.0

$15.96 $15.96

-68.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 SZL 28.72

$4.38 $4.38

-60.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 SZL 10.38

$1.45 $1.45

-56.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 SZL 20.56

$4.54 $4.54

-72.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 SZL 23.18

$4.19 $4.19

-66.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SZL 20.57

$2.63 $2.63

-52.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 SZL 24.48

$2.36 $2.36

-36.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 SZL 11.74

$1.76 $1.76

-59.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 SZL 12.56

$2.16 $2.16

-64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 SZL 46.91

$9.81 $9.81

-70.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 SZL 97.8

$14.72 $14.72

-59.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SZL 25.10

$2.78 $2.78

-45.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 SZL 27.59

$3.48 $3.48

-52.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 SZL 12.18

$1.49 $1.49

-50.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 SZL 22.80

$1.58 $1.58

-12.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 SZL 50.0

$35.29 $35.29

-91.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 SZL 20.98

$0.99 $0.99

28.28%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$64.0 SZL 1,056

$219 $219

-70.79%

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

$38.40 SZL 633

$58.0 $58.0

-33.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.97 SZL 445

$68.4 $68.4

-60.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.61 SZL 373

$57.9 $57.9

-60.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.04 SZL 50.1

$14.82 $14.82

-79.49%

Cinema Ticket

$3.65 SZL 60.1

$14.13 $14.13

-74.17%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,330 SZL 104.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-70.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.21 SZL 580

$51.7 $51.7

-31.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.80 SZL 244

$44.05 $44.05

-66.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 SZL 1,139

$85.1 $85.1

-18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 SZL 877

$105 $105

-49.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 SZL 4,406

$1,932 $1,932

-86.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 SZL 2,950

$1,272 $1,272

-85.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 SZL 7,332

$3,670 $3,670

-87.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 SZL 5,720

$2,525 $2,525

-86.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$473 SZL 7,794

$7,617 $7,617

-93.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$359 SZL 5,915

$3,199 $3,199

-88.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.25

6.79

6.77%

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

Last update for Mbabane: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbabane

$180 23.7%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 124% $223

Accommodation & Living

Mbabane

$179 23.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 611% $1.1K

Eating Out

Mbabane

$153 20.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 127% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbabane

$129 17.1%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 167% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Mbabane

$78 10.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 66% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Mbabane

$30 3.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 188% $56

Getting Around

Mbabane

$9.9 * 1.3%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 478% $47

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 $267 in Mbabane and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Mbabane vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $403 per month, with Mbabane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Mbabane

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

00:17 12:17 AM

7 h behind Mbabane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,874 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

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

USD to SZL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mbabane Austin, TX 15,030 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mbabane
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

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

Mbabane wins on cost – living expenses run 262% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mbabane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,121 in Mbabane 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $267 in Mbabane versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $747 per month in Mbabane versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 262% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Mbabane versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mbabane but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mbabane 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, Mbabane 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 Mbabane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.