Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,317 in Ashburn, VA, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Ashburn, VA
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Ashburn, VA Living Index
125

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

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Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,317

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,317 in Ashburn, VA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Ashburn, VA $3,317
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,512 in Ashburn, VA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Ashburn, VA $4,512
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,708 in Ashburn, VA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Ashburn, VA $5,708
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Ashburn, VA is roughly 27% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashburn, VA 144% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.82 $24.82

$20.35 $20.35

21.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$84.7 $84.7

6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.86 $12.86

$12.12 $12.12

6.11%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$5.65 $5.65

7.26%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$3.68 $3.68

-19.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.36 $2.36

8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$7.87 $7.87

2.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$8.82 $8.82

12.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.14 $1.14

3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.69 $3.69

8.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$3.31 $3.31

60.42%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$4.15 $4.15

33.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.28 $17.28

$12.98 $12.98

33.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.58 $15.58

$13.86 $13.86

12.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.85 $18.85

$16.34 $16.34

15.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$4.69 $4.69

15.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.45 $1.45

62.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$5.11 $5.11

25.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.52 $4.52

30.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.08 $3.08

-8.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.38 $2.38

57.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.80 $1.80

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.22 $2.22

22.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$9.97 $9.97

-3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.74 $15.74

$15.05 $15.05

4.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.91 $2.91

-22.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.33 $3.33

36.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.22 $1.22

88.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 $70.7

$40.53 $40.53

74.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.78 $2.78

4.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.65 $1.65

-10.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.07 $22.07

$35.39 $35.39

-37.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.95 $0.95

6.32%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

3.80%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-5.16%

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

$165 $165

$223 $223

-26.07%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$58.5 $58.5

13.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$71.2 $71.2

9.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 $61.1

$53.0 $53.0

15.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 $11.98

$16.75 $16.75

-28.48%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 $18.19

$14.06 $14.06

29.37%

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

$1,610 $1,610

$1,459 $1,459

10.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.7K $32.7K

$21.3K $21.3K

53.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$52.5 $52.5

2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.28 $43.28

$42.75 $42.75

1.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$86.4 $86.4

15.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$104 $104

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 $2,010

$2,112 $2,112

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 $1,795

$1,230 $1,230

45.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,037 $4,037

$3,863 $3,863

4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 $2,250

$2,407 $2,407

-6.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,996 $2,996

$7,426 $7,426

-59.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,103 $3,103

$3,060 $3,060

1.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,539 $7,539

$5,179 $5,179

45.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Ashburn, VA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 54.1%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 31.5% $565

Groceries & Markets

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 16.1% $78

Eating Out

Ashburn, VA

$392 11.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 11.2% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashburn, VA

$309 9.3%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 14% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Ashburn, VA

$144 4.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 10.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ashburn, VA

$97 2.9%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 16.7% $16

Getting Around

Ashburn, VA

$90 2.7%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 37.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,010 in Ashburn, VA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashburn, VA pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Ashburn, VA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:34 9:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

1 h behind Ashburn, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,511

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ashburn, VA Austin, TX 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashburn, VA
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

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

Ashburn, VA and Austin, TX differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($3,317 vs $2,607 including rent). Austin, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Ashburn, VA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,010 in Ashburn, VA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,610 in Ashburn, VA versus $1,459 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Ashburn, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Ashburn, VA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.