Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany, NY and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Albany, NY and in Austin, TX: $2,776 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

137

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index
130

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

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Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,776

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Albany, NY versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Albany, NY $2,776
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,419 in Albany, NY versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Albany, NY $4,419
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,061 in Albany, NY versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Albany, NY $6,061
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Albany, NY is roughly 4% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany, NY 106% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$20.77 $20.77

30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$84.6 $84.6

18.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.32 $12.32

20.70%

Cappuccino

$6.30 $6.30

$5.63 $5.63

11.90%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$3.72 $3.72

-27.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.50 $2.50

-18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$8.05 $8.05

-25.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.40 $10.40

$9.01 $9.01

15.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.12 $1.12

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.75 $3.75

-14.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$3.26 $3.26

116.87%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$4.17 $4.17

22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.37 $16.37

$12.90 $12.90

26.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$14.16 $14.16

14.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 $18.60

$16.22 $16.22

14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$4.33 $4.33

9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.46 $1.46

-4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.51 $4.51

20.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.34 $4.34

9.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.58 $2.58

22.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.35 $2.35

50.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.78 $1.78

31.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.22 $2.22

-12.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 $15.11

$9.88 $9.88

52.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 $14.25

$15.08 $15.08

-5.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.92 $2.92

-29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.46 $3.46

15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.49 $1.49

1.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 $63.9

$41.72 $41.72

53.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.73 $2.73

87.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.66 $1.66

-18.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$35.30 $35.30

-16.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.95 $0.95

12.63%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.11%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.74%

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

$215 $215

$229 $229

-6.25%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$59.4 $59.4

17.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.9 $87.9

$69.9 $69.9

25.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 $38.64

$57.2 $57.2

-32.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.03 $38.03

$16.33 $16.33

132.88%

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$14.28 $14.28

4.90%

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

$1,475 $1,475

$1,506 $1,506

-2.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

-21.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$52.8 $52.8

2.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 $40.55

$43.82 $43.82

-7.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$84.8 $84.8

31.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$103 $103

3.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$1,907 $1,907

-24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 $1,256

$1,274 $1,274

-1.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,882 $2,882

$3,664 $3,664

-21.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,595 $2,595

$2,538 $2,538

2.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,454 $2,454

$7,614 $7,614

-67.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

$3,157 $3,157

-21.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,245 $4,245

$5,121 $5,121

-17.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.79

-1.91%

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

Last update for Albany, NY: 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

Albany, NY

$1.3K 45.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 1.4% $18

Groceries & Markets

Albany, NY

$451 16.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 10.3% $47

Eating Out

Albany, NY

$406 14.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 12.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany, NY

$372 13.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 3.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Albany, NY

$140 5.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 8.9% $12

Getting Around

Albany, NY

$82 3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 28.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Albany, NY

$69 2.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 25.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,440 in Albany, NY and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $100 in Albany, NY vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

19:27 7:27 PM

18:27 6:27 PM

1 h behind Albany, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,228

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Albany, NY Austin, TX 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Albany, NY
Austin, TX

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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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Albany, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX 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: $1,440 in Albany, NY 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $100 in Albany, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,776 per month in Albany, NY versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Albany, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.