Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Tokyo: $1,635 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
129

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

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,635

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,635 in Tokyo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Tokyo $1,635
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Tokyo versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Tokyo $2,608
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,581 in Tokyo versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Tokyo $3,581
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Tokyo costs roughly 40% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tokyo 22% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 ¥1,208

$20.22 $20.22

-62.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.51 ¥6,094

$85.0 $85.0

-54.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ¥800

$12.35 $12.35

-59.11%

Cappuccino

$3.61 ¥571

$5.47 $5.47

-34.00%

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

$1.62 ¥257

$3.82 $3.82

-57.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$2.50 $2.50

-65.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ¥584

$8.06 $8.06

-54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥835

$8.99 $8.99

-41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥243

$1.13 $1.13

35.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ¥278

$3.78 $3.78

-53.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 ¥884

$3.25 $3.25

72.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ¥354

$4.14 $4.14

-45.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ¥1,686

$13.08 $13.08

-18.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 ¥1,045

$14.31 $14.31

-53.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.74 ¥2,649

$15.96 $15.96

4.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 ¥769

$4.38 $4.38

10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ¥371

$1.45 $1.45

62.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 ¥685

$4.54 $4.54

-4.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 ¥836

$4.19 $4.19

26.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 ¥540

$2.63 $2.63

29.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 ¥505

$2.36 $2.36

35.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ¥187

$1.76 $1.76

-32.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥131

$2.16 $2.16

-61.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥607

$9.81 $9.81

-60.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 ¥1,467

$14.72 $14.72

-37.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥260

$2.78 $2.78

-41.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥434

$3.48 $3.48

-20.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ¥205

$1.49 $1.49

-13.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 ¥9,830

$40.51 $40.51

53.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 ¥488

$2.67 $2.67

15.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥508

$1.58 $1.58

103.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.41 ¥2,913

$35.29 $35.29

-47.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$0.99 $0.99

8.08%

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

$22.2K ¥3.5M

$35.8K $35.8K

-38.08%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$27.2K $27.2K

-43.74%

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

$148 ¥23.4K

$219 $219

-32.69%

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

$21.97 ¥3,476

$58.0 $58.0

-62.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.43 ¥4,815

$68.4 $68.4

-55.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$57.9 $57.9

12.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.55 ¥4,044

$14.82 $14.82

72.40%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 ¥2,037

$14.13 $14.13

-8.92%

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

$1,360 ¥215.2K

$1,509 $1,509

-9.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ¥2.9M

$21.5K $21.5K

-14.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 ¥8,943

$51.7 $51.7

9.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 ¥5,248

$44.05 $44.05

-24.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$85.1 $85.1

-24.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ¥11.4K

$105 $105

-31.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ¥201.8K

$1,932 $1,932

-34.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 ¥111.1K

$1,272 $1,272

-44.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 ¥406.0K

$3,670 $3,670

-30.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 ¥234.3K

$2,525 $2,525

-41.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,152 ¥1.4M

$7,617 $7,617

20.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,191 ¥663.2K

$3,199 $3,199

30.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 ¥474.4K

$5,105 $5,105

-41.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

6.79

-66.86%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$702 42.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 81.2% $570

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$325 19.5%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 23.9% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 12%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 72.8% $146

Eating Out

Tokyo

$158 9.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 120% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$102 6.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 26.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$91 5.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 5.1% $4.7

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.2%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 34% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Tokyo and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 70% 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: $39.00 in Tokyo vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $403 per month, with Tokyo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

19:11 7:11 PM

05:11 5:11 AM

14 h behind Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

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

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tokyo Austin, TX 10,540 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Tokyo
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

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

Tokyo wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tokyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 70% 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: $1,275 in Tokyo 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 $1,635 per month in Tokyo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tokyo runs roughly 53% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,635 in Tokyo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tokyo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Tokyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tokyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,635 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tokyo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tokyo 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 Tokyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.