Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Skien: $2,336 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index
130

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

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Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Skien versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Skien $2,336
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,267 in Skien versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Skien $3,267
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,197 in Skien versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Skien $4,197
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Skien costs roughly 12% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 73% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 200

$20.77 $20.77

2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 971

$84.6 $84.6

21.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 146

$12.32 $12.32

25.57%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.11

$5.63 $5.63

-9.24%

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

$4.36 NOK 41.01

$3.72 $3.72

17.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 NOK 27.96

$2.50 $2.50

18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.89 NOK 112

$8.05 $8.05

47.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 NOK 116

$9.01 $9.01

36.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.84

$1.12 $1.12

88.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 NOK 36.90

$3.75 $3.75

4.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 NOK 42.98

$3.26 $3.26

40.18%

Eggs

$5.66 NOK 53.3

$4.17 $4.17

35.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 NOK 124

$12.90 $12.90

2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 143

$14.16 $14.16

7.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 NOK 205

$16.22 $16.22

34.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.49

$4.33 $4.33

-22.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.42

$1.46 $1.46

84.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.86

$4.51 $4.51

-22.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 NOK 56.0

$4.34 $4.34

37.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 21.04

$2.58 $2.58

-13.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.12

$2.35 $2.35

18.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 NOK 28.63

$1.78 $1.78

70.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.33

$2.22 $2.22

11.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.02 NOK 179

$9.88 $9.88

92.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 NOK 148

$15.08 $15.08

4.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.58

$2.92 $2.92

14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.76

$3.46 $3.46

25.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 NOK 30.64

$1.49 $1.49

118.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 NOK 451

$41.72 $41.72

14.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 NOK 105

$2.73 $2.73

307.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NOK 17.02

$1.66 $1.66

9.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 667

$35.30 $35.30

100.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$0.95 $0.95

138.95%

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

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

31.80%

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

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

60.14%

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

$93.9 NOK 884

$229 $229

-59.01%

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

$33.89 NOK 319

$59.4 $59.4

-42.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NOK 504

$69.9 $69.9

-23.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.10 NOK 406

$57.2 $57.2

-24.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 NOK 144

$14.28 $14.28

7.07%

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

$239 NOK 2,247

$1,506 $1,506

-84.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

-26.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NOK 600

$52.8 $52.8

20.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$43.82 $43.82

37.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 NOK 827

$84.8 $84.8

3.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,442

$103 $103

48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NOK 9,811

$1,907 $1,907

-45.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 NOK 9,183

$1,274 $1,274

-23.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NOK 9,746

$3,664 $3,664

-71.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NOK 8,841

$2,538 $2,538

-63.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

$7,614 $7,614

-55.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

$3,157 $3,157

-0.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

$5,121 $5,121

-17.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

6.79

-35.64%

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

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skien

$975 41.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 30.6% $299

Groceries & Markets

Skien

$470 20.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 13.8% $65

Eating Out

Skien

$391 16.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 9.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skien

$181 7.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 97.6% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Skien

$164 7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 22.1% $36

Getting Around

Skien

$81 3.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 27.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Skien

$74 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 16.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,042 in Skien and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% 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: $103 in Skien vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Skien

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:11 8:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

7 h behind Skien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,769

974,447

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

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

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skien Austin, TX 8,050 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Skien
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

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

Skien wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Skien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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: $1,042 in Skien 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 $2,336 per month in Skien versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Skien runs roughly 15% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,336 in Skien versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Skien but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Skien 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, Skien 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 Skien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.