Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apple Valley, MN and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Apple Valley, MN: $2,529 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Apple Valley, MN
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Apple Valley, MN Living Index
130

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

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Apple Valley, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,529

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Apple Valley, MN vs $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Apple Valley, MN $2,529
Austin, TX $2,663

A couple spends around $3,697 per month in Apple Valley, MN vs $4,133 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Apple Valley, MN $3,697
Austin, TX $4,133

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Apple Valley, MN vs $5,603 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Apple Valley, MN $4,864
Austin, TX $5,603

Apple Valley, MN is about 5% cheaper than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Apple Valley, MN and Austin, TX sit above the global median – Apple Valley, MN by 87%, Austin, TX by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 $20.26

$20.77 $20.77

-2.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$84.6 $84.6

-12.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 $11.15

$12.32 $12.32

-9.50%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$5.63 $5.63

9.41%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$3.72 $3.72

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.50 $2.50

-6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$8.05 $8.05

-11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.01 $9.01

-9.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.12 $1.12

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.75 $3.75

-16.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.26 $3.26

14.11%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.17 $4.17

-11.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$12.90 $12.90

-18.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 $12.21

$14.16 $14.16

-13.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 $18.87

$16.22 $16.22

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$4.33 $4.33

31.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.46 $1.46

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.51 $4.51

0.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.34 $4.34

16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.58 $2.58

-12.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.35 $2.35

61.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.78 $1.78

30.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.22 $2.22

19.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 $10.94

$9.88 $9.88

10.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 $14.90

$15.08 $15.08

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.92 $2.92

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.46 $3.46

-15.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.49 $1.49

19.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.73 $2.73

83.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.66 $1.66

4.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 $23.89

$35.30 $35.30

-32.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.95 $0.95

9.47%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.64%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.06%

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

$165 $165

$229 $229

-28.04%

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

$49.02 $49.02

$59.4 $59.4

-17.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 $58.4

$69.9 $69.9

-16.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.38 $42.38

$57.2 $57.2

-25.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 $14.23

$14.28 $14.28

-0.35%

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

$1,371 $1,371

$1,506 $1,506

-8.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

70.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 $57.8

$52.8 $52.8

9.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 $44.79

$43.82 $43.82

2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$84.8 $84.8

-12.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 $83.5

$103 $103

-18.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 $1,491

$1,907 $1,907

-21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$1,274 $1,274

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 $2,476

$3,664 $3,664

-32.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$2,538 $2,538

-16.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,920 $2,920

$7,614 $7,614

-61.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,246 $2,246

$3,157 $3,157

-28.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.79

-2.65%

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

Last update for Apple Valley, MN: 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

Apple Valley, MN

$1.3K 51.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 2.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Apple Valley, MN

$400 15.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 1.1% $4.6

Eating Out

Apple Valley, MN

$342 13.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 3.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apple Valley, MN

$272 10.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 31.6% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Apple Valley, MN

$117 4.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 9.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Apple Valley, MN

$71 2.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 21.1% $15

Getting Around

Apple Valley, MN

$21 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 182% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,491 in Apple Valley, MN versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Apple Valley, MN versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $405 – making Apple Valley, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Apple Valley, MN

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

Same time as Apple Valley, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,109

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Apple Valley, MN Austin, TX 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Apple Valley, MN
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

Apple Valley, MN vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN, $2,663 in Austin, TX – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,794 per month in Apple Valley, MN and $3,995 in Austin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Apple Valley, MN, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN and $2,663 in Austin, TX. That's a gap of about 5%.

Kindergarten costs $1,371 per month in Apple Valley, MN and $1,506 in Austin, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN and $2,663 in Austin, TX. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Apple Valley, MN – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Apple Valley, MN. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.