Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shillong and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index
130

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

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Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $402 in Shillong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Shillong $402
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $638 in Shillong versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Shillong $638
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $874 in Shillong versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Shillong $874
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Shillong costs roughly 85% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shillong is 70% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.35 ₹318

$20.77 $20.77

-83.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.44 ₹1,086

$84.6 $84.6

-86.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ₹457

$12.32 $12.32

-60.96%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₹157

$5.63 $5.63

-70.52%

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

$0.41 ₹38.89

$3.72 $3.72

-88.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.94

$2.50 $2.50

-94.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₹116

$8.05 $8.05

-84.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₹331

$9.01 $9.01

-61.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹57.9

$1.12 $1.12

-45.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 ₹29.07

$3.75 $3.75

-91.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 ₹55.4

$3.26 $3.26

-82.21%

Eggs

$0.92 ₹86.9

$4.17 $4.17

-77.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.86 ₹366

$12.90 $12.90

-70.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ₹231

$14.16 $14.16

-82.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹205

$4.33 $4.33

-50.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$1.46 $1.46

-53.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ₹88.4

$4.51 $4.51

-79.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.22

$4.34 $4.34

-88.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ₹29.25

$2.58 $2.58

-87.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 ₹32.78

$2.35 $2.35

-85.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.91

$1.78 $1.78

-87.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₹23.68

$2.22 $2.22

-88.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₹485

$9.88 $9.88

-48.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 ₹458

$15.08 $15.08

-67.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₹121

$2.92 $2.92

-56.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₹187

$3.46 $3.46

-43.06%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.78 ₹454

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₹70.3

$2.73 $2.73

-72.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ₹26.52

$1.66 $1.66

-83.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₹123

$35.30 $35.30

-96.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$0.95 $0.95

14.74%

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

$12.6K ₹1.2M

$36.0K $36.0K

-64.97%

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

$16.0K ₹1.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

-40.72%

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

$34.74 ₹3,299

$229 $229

-84.83%

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

$3.29 ₹313

$59.4 $59.4

-94.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.12 ₹581

$69.9 $69.9

-91.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.99 ₹948

$57.2 $57.2

-82.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.11 ₹486

$16.33 $16.33

-68.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 ₹294

$14.28 $14.28

-78.29%

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

$27.65 ₹2,626

$1,506 $1,506

-98.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,164 ₹110.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

-94.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.41 ₹1,653

$52.8 $52.8

-67.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.11 ₹2,100

$43.82 $43.82

-49.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.74 ₹3,489

$84.8 $84.8

-56.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.45 ₹2,606

$103 $103

-73.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ₹19.9K

$1,907 $1,907

-89.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 ₹12.4K

$1,274 $1,274

-89.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₹69.0K

$3,664 $3,664

-80.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₹27.0K

$2,538 $2,538

-88.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₹41.9K

$5,121 $5,121

-91.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

6.79

8.69%

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

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shillong

$131 32.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 875% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Shillong

$86 21.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 373% $319

Eating Out

Shillong

$76 19%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 363% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Shillong

$47 11.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 174% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shillong

$44 11%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 712% $314

Sport & Entertainment

Shillong

$16 4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 430% $70

Getting Around

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 2643% $57

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 $210 in Shillong and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1060% 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: $11.00 in Shillong vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $86.0 vs $405 per month, with Shillong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shillong

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

20:46 8:46 PM

10 h 30 min behind Shillong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shillong Austin, TX 13,720 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Shillong
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

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

Shillong wins on cost – living expenses run 563% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shillong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1060% 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: $210 in Shillong versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $27.65 in Shillong 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 Shillong – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $402 in Shillong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shillong but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Shillong 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 Shillong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 563% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.