Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aspen, CO and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $5,138 in Aspen, CO, rent and utilities included – about $29,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

251

Cost of Living Index in Aspen, CO
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Aspen, CO Living Index
130

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

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Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$5,138

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,138 per month in Aspen, CO vs $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Aspen, CO $5,138
Austin, TX $2,663

A couple spends around $7,519 per month in Aspen, CO vs $4,133 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Aspen, CO $7,519
Austin, TX $4,133

A family of three spends $9,900 per month in Aspen, CO vs $5,603 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Aspen, CO $9,900
Austin, TX $5,603

Aspen, CO costs about 93% more than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Aspen, CO and Austin, TX sit above the global median – Aspen, CO by 281%, Austin, TX by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 $20.27

$20.77 $20.77

-2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$84.6 $84.6

-6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 $10.86

$12.32 $12.32

-11.85%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$5.63 $5.63

-3.55%

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

$3.59 $3.59

$3.72 $3.72

-3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.50 $2.50

19.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$8.05 $8.05

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 $9.11

$9.01 $9.01

1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.12 $1.12

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.75 $3.75

46.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.26 $3.26

107.36%

Eggs

$5.58 $5.58

$4.17 $4.17

33.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$12.90 $12.90

-9.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.00 $11.00

$14.16 $14.16

-22.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 $17.51

$16.22 $16.22

7.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$4.33 $4.33

37.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.51 $4.51

35.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.34 $4.34

41.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.58 $2.58

53.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.35 $2.35

57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.78 $1.78

93.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.22 $2.22

23.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$9.88 $9.88

9.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.19 $17.19

$15.08 $15.08

13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.92 $2.92

-37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.46 $3.46

41.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 $91.0

$41.72 $41.72

118.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.73 $2.73

-10.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.66 $1.66

-17.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.95 $23.95

$35.30 $35.30

-32.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.95 $0.95

7.37%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.93%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.05%

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

$149 $149

$229 $229

-34.84%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$59.4 $59.4

21.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$69.9 $69.9

7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$137 $137

$57.2 $57.2

138.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$16.28 $16.28

$14.28 $14.28

14.01%

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

$1,590 $1,590

$1,506 $1,506

5.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

42.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 $70.3

$52.8 $52.8

33.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.77 $48.77

$43.82 $43.82

11.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 $93.5

$84.8 $84.8

10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$103 $103

37.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,051 $4,051

$1,907 $1,907

112.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,601 $3,601

$1,274 $1,274

182.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,881 $7,881

$3,664 $3,664

115.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,487 $6,487

$2,538 $2,538

155.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$7,614 $7,614

43.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,649 $7,649

$3,157 $3,157

142.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,976 $4,976

$5,121 $5,121

-2.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.79

-3.53%

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

Last update for Aspen, CO: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aspen, CO

$3.6K 70.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 64.6% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Aspen, CO

$472 9.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 14.2% $67

Eating Out

Aspen, CO

$340 6.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 4.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aspen, CO

$297 5.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 20.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Aspen, CO

$169 3.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 49.3% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Aspen, CO

$159 3.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 19.6% $31

Getting Around

Aspen, CO

$100 * 2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 41.5% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,051 in Aspen, CO 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.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Austin, TX, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Aspen, CO versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $472 in Aspen, CO vs $405 in Austin, TX – so Austin, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

1 h ahead of Aspen, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

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

Aspen, CO Austin, TX 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Aspen, CO
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

Aspen, CO vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aspen, CO costs about 93% more than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,707 per month in Aspen, CO 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 Austin, TX, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Aspen, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Aspen, CO and $85.0 in Austin, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $5,138 in Aspen, CO 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 Austin, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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