Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abilene, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Abilene, TX: $2,186 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
Learn more

Abilene, TX Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,186

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Abilene, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Abilene, TX $2,186
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Abilene, TX versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Abilene, TX $3,178
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,169 in Abilene, TX versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Abilene, TX $4,169
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Abilene, TX costs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abilene, TX 62% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 $18.06

$20.77 $20.77

-13.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 $64.4

$84.6 $84.6

-23.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 $9.13

$12.32 $12.32

-25.89%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$5.63 $5.63

-2.84%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$3.72 $3.72

-36.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.50 $2.50

-25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$8.05 $8.05

-38.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$9.01 $9.01

-35.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.12 $1.12

-8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.75 $3.75

-38.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$3.26 $3.26

72.70%

Eggs

$3.73 $3.73

$4.17 $4.17

-10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$12.90 $12.90

-34.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$14.16 $14.16

-8.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$16.22 $16.22

-13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.33 $4.33

-21.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.46 $1.46

-33.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.51 $4.51

3.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.34 $4.34

22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.58 $2.58

63.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.35 $2.35

49.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.78 $1.78

39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.22 $2.22

-11.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 $5.85

$9.88 $9.88

-40.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 $11.31

$15.08 $15.08

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.92 $2.92

-12.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.46 $3.46

18.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.49 $1.49

14.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 $53.3

$41.72 $41.72

27.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.86 $14.86

$35.30 $35.30

-57.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.95 $0.95

-9.47%

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

$19.1K $19.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-46.98%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-9.64%

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

$236 $236

$229 $229

3.21%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$59.4 $59.4

-1.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$69.9 $69.9

-12.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.16 $20.16

$57.2 $57.2

-64.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 $12.02

$14.28 $14.28

-15.83%

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

$1,506 $1,506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.11 $42.11

$52.8 $52.8

-20.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.74 $19.74

$43.82 $43.82

-54.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.9 $62.9

$84.8 $84.8

-25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 $65.6

$103 $103

-36.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 $1,160

$1,907 $1,907

-39.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 $981

$1,274 $1,274

-22.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 $1,847

$3,664 $3,664

-49.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$2,538 $2,538

-36.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,667 $1,667

$7,614 $7,614

-78.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,711 $1,711

$3,157 $3,157

-45.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,281 $3,281

$5,121 $5,121

-35.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.79

-4.42%

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

Last update for Abilene, TX: 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

Abilene, TX

$981 44.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 29.8% $293

Groceries & Markets

Abilene, TX

$368 16.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 9.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abilene, TX

$356 16.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 0.6% $2

Eating Out

Abilene, TX

$291 13.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 21.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Abilene, TX

$86 3.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 49.4% $42

Getting Around

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 2.4% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Abilene, TX

$44 2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 94.1% $42

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 $1,160 in Abilene, TX and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 56% 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: $64.0 in Abilene, TX vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $405 per month, with Abilene, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

Same time as Abilene, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,182

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Abilene, TX Austin, TX 320 km

From you

Abilene, TX
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

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

Abilene, TX and Austin, TX differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,186 vs $2,663 including rent). Abilene, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 56% 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: $1,160 in Abilene, TX versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Abilene, TX – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Abilene, TX runs roughly 28% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,186 in Abilene, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Abilene, TX but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Abilene, TX 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 Abilene, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.