Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Austin, TX Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Austin, TX

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Arlington, VA is 25% more expensive than Austin, TX without rent, and 32.8% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Arlington, VA is 23.9% more expensive than Austin, TX without rent, and 32.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Arlington, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.54 $24.54
$19.64 $19.64
24.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.5 $88.5
$76.2 $76.2
16.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.84 $11.84
$9.95 $9.95
18.99%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$5.61 $5.61
-3.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 $2.93
$2.64 $2.64
10.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.5 $2.5
$2.19 $2.19
14.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.02 $8.02
$5.84 $5.84
37.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.82 $8.82
$7.92 $7.92
11.36%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Arlington, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.13 $1.13
9.73%
White Bread (500g)
$4.1 $4.1
$3.3 $3.3
24.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.81 $6.81
$3.5 $3.5
94.57%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$4.4 $4.4
-1.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.79 $17.79
$12 $12
48.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.75 $14.75
$10.68 $10.68
38.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.38 $21.38
$14.73 $14.73
45.15%
Apples (1kg)
$6.26 $6.26
$4.88 $4.88
28.28%
Banana (1kg)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.52 $1.52
35.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.22 $5.22
$4.53 $4.53
15.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.71 $5.71
$3.92 $3.92
45.66%
Potato (1kg)
$3.44 $3.44
$2.72 $2.72
26.47%
Onion (1kg)
$3.39 $3.39
$2.76 $2.76
22.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 $2.65
$2.01 $2.01
31.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$2.18 $2.18
12.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.3 $12.3
$8.86 $8.86
38.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.17 $17.17
$14.96 $14.96
14.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$2.34 $2.34
-13.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.29 $4.29
$3.44 $3.44
24.71%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Arlington, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.43 $3.43
$1.48 $1.48
131.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$125 $125
$42.82 $42.82
192.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 $3.02
$4.3 $4.3
-29.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 $1.59
$1.82 $1.82
-12.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.75 $21.75
$34.63 $34.63
-37.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$0.73 $0.73
24.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K $29.6K
$25.5K $25.5K
16.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26K $26K
$26.3K $26.3K
-1.03%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arlington, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 $205
$177 $177
15.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.8 $59.8
$58.9 $58.9
1.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$64.8 $64.8
7.79%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Arlington, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$62.6 $62.6
22.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.96 $23.96
$10.17 $10.17
135.59%
Cinema Ticket
$14.84 $14.84
$14.72 $14.72
0.82%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Arlington, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,074 $2,074
$1,378 $1,378
50.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.4K $39.4K
$22.4K $22.4K
75.96%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Arlington, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.9 $55.9
$56.3 $56.3
-0.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.48 $49.48
$46.46 $46.46
6.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 $92.6
$86.7 $86.7
6.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 $141
$119 $119
18.83%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Arlington, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,473 $2,473
$2,188 $2,188
13.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,930 $1,930
$1,395 $1,395
38.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,350 $4,350
$3,896 $3,896
11.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,575 $3,575
$2,689 $2,689
32.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,644 $4,644
$4,414 $4,414
5.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,073 $4,073
$3,161 $3,161
28.84%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Arlington, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,454 $6,454
$4,871 $4,871
32.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
6.45
1.55%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 28, 2025

Last update for Austin, TX: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.