Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palawan and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Palawan: $792 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Palawan
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Palawan Living Index
130

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

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Palawan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$792

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $792 in Palawan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Palawan $792
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,230 in Palawan versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Palawan $1,230
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,668 in Palawan versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Palawan $1,668
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Palawan costs roughly 70% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palawan is 41% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 ₱228

$20.77 $20.77

-82.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.14 ₱1,205

$84.6 $84.6

-77.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.37 ₱212

$12.32 $12.32

-72.65%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ₱165

$5.63 $5.63

-53.29%

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

$0.83 ₱52.5

$3.72 $3.72

-77.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱24.65

$2.50 $2.50

-84.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₱81.4

$8.05 $8.05

-83.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ₱136

$9.01 $9.01

-76.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.12 $1.12

69.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱79.4

$3.75 $3.75

-66.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.26 $3.26

-69.02%

Eggs

$1.98 ₱125

$4.17 $4.17

-52.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 ₱493

$12.90 $12.90

-39.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱265

$14.16 $14.16

-70.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 ₱490

$16.22 $16.22

-52.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.33 $4.33

-30.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱98.2

$1.46 $1.46

6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 ₱171

$4.51 $4.51

-39.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₱102

$4.34 $4.34

-62.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 ₱146

$2.58 $2.58

-10.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱163

$2.35 $2.35

10.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.9

$1.78 $1.78

-40.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱44.86

$2.22 $2.22

-68.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 ₱175

$9.88 $9.88

-71.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.85 ₱431

$15.08 $15.08

-54.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₱75.4

$2.92 $2.92

-58.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱128

$3.46 $3.46

-41.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.81

$1.49 $1.49

-81.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.29 ₱711

$41.72 $41.72

-72.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱52.4

$2.73 $2.73

-69.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.20

$1.66 $1.66

-85.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₱136

$35.30 $35.30

-93.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱69.2

$0.95 $0.95

15.79%

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

$26.5K ₱1.7M

$36.0K $36.0K

-26.49%

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

$20.1K ₱1.3M

$27.1K $27.1K

-25.90%

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

$114 ₱7,183

$229 $229

-50.18%

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

$32.54 ₱2,049

$59.4 $59.4

-45.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.55 ₱1,734

$69.9 $69.9

-60.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.48 ₱2,171

$57.2 $57.2

-39.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.36 ₱275

$16.33 $16.33

-73.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.80 ₱365

$14.28 $14.28

-59.38%

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

$150 ₱9,463

$1,506 $1,506

-90.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,228 ₱266.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-80.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.09 ₱2,839

$52.8 $52.8

-14.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.54 ₱1,671

$43.82 $43.82

-39.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 ₱4,713

$84.8 $84.8

-11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.6 ₱3,377

$103 $103

-47.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₱16.6K

$1,907 $1,907

-86.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.1K

$1,274 $1,274

-86.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₱37.1K

$3,664 $3,664

-83.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ₱24.5K

$2,538 $2,538

-84.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,359 ₱148.5K

$7,614 $7,614

-69.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 ₱62.6K

$3,157 $3,157

-68.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.79

-1.77%

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

Last update for Palawan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Palawan

$204 25.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 98.8% $201

Accommodation & Living

Palawan

$177 22.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 620% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palawan

$174 22%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 106% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Palawan

$90 11.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 42.1% $38

Eating Out

Palawan

$86 10.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 310% $268

Sport & Entertainment

Palawan

$46 5.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 86.2% $40

Getting Around

Palawan

$14 1.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 306% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Palawan and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Palawan vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $405 per month, with Palawan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Palawan

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

08:52 8:52 AM

13 h behind Palawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

939,594

974,447

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Palawan Austin, TX 14,090 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Palawan
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

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

Palawan wins on cost – living expenses run 236% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Palawan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,187 in Palawan and $3,995 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: $264 in Palawan versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $792 per month in Palawan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 236% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Palawan runs roughly 270% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $792 in Palawan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palawan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Palawan 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, Palawan 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 Palawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 236% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.