Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asheville, NC and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,016 in Asheville, NC, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Asheville, NC
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Asheville, NC Living Index
130

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

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Asheville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,016

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,016 in Asheville, NC versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Asheville, NC $3,016
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,370 in Asheville, NC versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Asheville, NC $4,370
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,723 in Asheville, NC versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Asheville, NC $5,723
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Asheville, NC is roughly 13% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Asheville, NC 123% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.02 $21.02

$20.77 $20.77

1.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$84.6 $84.6

20.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 $11.02

$12.32 $12.32

-10.55%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$5.63 $5.63

5.51%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$3.72 $3.72

-32.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.50 $2.50

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$8.05 $8.05

-13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 $9.34

$9.01 $9.01

3.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.12 $1.12

2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.75 $3.75

18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.26 $3.26

35.89%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$4.17 $4.17

-4.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$12.90 $12.90

29.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.16 $14.16

-2.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$16.22 $16.22

-6.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$4.33 $4.33

-6.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.46 $1.46

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.51 $4.51

-9.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.34 $4.34

7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.58 $2.58

-8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.35 $2.35

20.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.78 $1.78

39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.22 $2.22

-1.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 $7.82

$9.88 $9.88

-20.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$15.08 $15.08

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.92 $2.92

-37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.46 $3.46

46.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.49 $1.49

36.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.4 $80.4

$41.72 $41.72

92.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.73 $2.73

61.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.66 $1.66

89.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.37 $34.37

$35.30 $35.30

-2.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.95 $0.95

3.16%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-10.89%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.41%

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

$180 $180

$229 $229

-21.54%

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

$65.5 $65.5

$59.4 $59.4

10.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$108 $108

$69.9 $69.9

53.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.92 $36.92

$57.2 $57.2

-35.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 $18.99

$16.33 $16.33

16.29%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 $12.76

$14.28 $14.28

-10.64%

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

$2,611 $2,611

$1,506 $1,506

73.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$55.5K $55.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

158.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.8 $64.8

$52.8 $52.8

22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$43.82 $43.82

14.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$84.8 $84.8

23.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 $161

$103 $103

55.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 $2,030

$1,907 $1,907

6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$1,274 $1,274

22.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,132 $3,132

$3,664 $3,664

-14.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,394 $2,394

$2,538 $2,538

-5.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,340 $4,340

$7,614 $7,614

-42.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,251 $3,251

$3,157 $3,157

2.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 $3,659

$5,121 $5,121

-28.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

6.79

-8.69%

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

Last update for Asheville, NC: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asheville, NC

$1.6K 51.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 18.1% $282

Groceries & Markets

Asheville, NC

$421 14%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asheville, NC

$353 11.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 1.6% $5.6

Eating Out

Asheville, NC

$344 11.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Asheville, NC

$171 5.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 25.2% $43

Getting Around

Asheville, NC

$109 3.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 46% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Asheville, NC

$62 2.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 37.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,030 in Asheville, NC and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $102 in Asheville, NC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Asheville, NC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h behind Asheville, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,789

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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Between locations

Asheville, NC Austin, TX 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Asheville, NC
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

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

Asheville, NC and Austin, TX differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($3,016 vs $2,663 including rent). Austin, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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: $2,030 in Asheville, NC versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 93% less than in Asheville, NC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,611 in Asheville, NC versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 13% less than in Asheville, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.