Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, WI and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashland, WI: $2,514 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, TX despite lower rent and utilities.

121

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, WI
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Ashland, WI Living Index
129

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

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Ashland, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,514

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,514 per month in Ashland, WI vs $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Ashland, WI $2,514
Austin, TX $2,698

A couple spends around $3,751 per month in Ashland, WI vs $4,160 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Ashland, WI $3,751
Austin, TX $4,160

A family of three spends $4,988 per month in Ashland, WI vs $5,622 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Ashland, WI $4,988
Austin, TX $5,622

Ashland, WI is about 7% cheaper than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ashland, WI and Austin, TX sit above the global median – Ashland, WI by 86%, Austin, TX by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 $15.40

$20.63 $20.63

-25.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 $67.8

$84.6 $84.6

-19.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 $9.99

$12.07 $12.07

-17.23%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$5.48 $5.48

-4.93%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$3.80 $3.80

-20.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.47 $2.47

6.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$8.05 $8.05

-26.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 $7.67

$8.88 $8.88

-13.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.11 $1.11

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.72 $3.72

6.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.37 $3.37

3.26%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$4.32 $4.32

-28.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 $9.84

$13.13 $13.13

-25.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 $9.54

$14.15 $14.15

-32.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.52 $13.52

$16.33 $16.33

-17.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.55 $4.55

6.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.46 $1.46

-23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$4.71 $4.71

31.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$4.15 $4.15

20.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.58 $2.58

48.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.35 $2.35

49.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.77 $1.77

11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.14 $2.14

-17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 $12.99

$10.10 $10.10

28.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 $14.59

$15.19 $15.19

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.82 $2.82

-40.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.44 $3.44

3.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.54 $1.54

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.80 $2.80

-11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.60 $1.60

-5.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$34.34 $34.34

-10.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.94 $0.94

9.57%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.70%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.46%

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

$232 $232

$223 $223

4.36%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$58.9 $58.9

-13.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$70.6 $70.6

-8.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.22 $41.22

$57.7 $57.7

-28.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 $12.94

$14.26 $14.26

-9.26%

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

$1,451 $1,451

$1,511 $1,511

-3.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K $27.5K

$20.9K $20.9K

31.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.18 $42.18

$51.3 $51.3

-17.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 $40.12

$44.17 $44.17

-9.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 $79.8

$87.0 $87.0

-8.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$104 $104

6.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 $1,802

$1,940 $1,940

-7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 $1,310

$1,316 $1,316

-0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,314 $2,314

$3,664 $3,664

-36.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,404 $2,404

$2,565 $2,565

-6.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,475 $2,475

$7,354 $7,354

-66.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,127 $2,127

$3,129 $3,129

-32.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.79

-7.07%

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

Last update for Ashland, WI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashland, WI

$1.3K 52.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 0.5% $6.4

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, WI

$365 14.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 11.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, WI

$348 13.9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 1.1% $4

Eating Out

Ashland, WI

$283 11.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 23.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, WI

$123 4.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 5% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, WI

$67 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 28.5% $19

Getting Around

Ashland, WI

$17 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 239% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,802 in Ashland, WI versus $1,940 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 $68.0 in Ashland, WI versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $406 – making Ashland, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, WI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

Same time as Ashland, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,684

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

Ashland, WI Austin, TX 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashland, WI
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

Ashland, WI vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX costs about 7% more than Ashland, WI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,771 per month in Ashland, WI and $4,046 in Austin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Ashland, WI and $85.0 in Austin, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Austin, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,514 in Ashland, WI and $2,698 in Austin, TX. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ashland, WI – 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 Ashland, WI. 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.