Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,204 in Aurora, CO, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, CO
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Aurora, CO Living Index
129

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

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Aurora, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,204

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,204 in Aurora, CO versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Aurora, CO $3,204
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,519 in Aurora, CO versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Aurora, CO $4,519
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,834 in Aurora, CO versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Aurora, CO $5,834
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Aurora, CO is roughly 19% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aurora, CO 136% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 $30.59

$20.63 $20.63

48.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 $67.1

$84.6 $84.6

-20.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 $12.81

$12.07 $12.07

6.13%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.48 $5.48

5.29%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$3.80 $3.80

-27.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.47 $2.47

-11.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$8.05 $8.05

-37.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$8.88 $8.88

-31.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.11 $1.11

19.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.72 $3.72

-19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.37 $3.37

-10.68%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.32 $4.32

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$13.13 $13.13

-8.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$14.15 $14.15

-33.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 $14.32

$16.33 $16.33

-12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$4.55 $4.55

1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.46 $1.46

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.71 $4.71

-36.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.15 $4.15

6.51%

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.58 $2.58

115.12%

Onion (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.35 $2.35

70.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.77 $1.77

14.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.14 $2.14

85.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$10.10 $10.10

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.82 $2.82

-39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.54 $1.54

99.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$178 $178

$40.99 $40.99

335.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.94 $0.94

6.38%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$34.0K $34.0K

-16.36%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

0.91%

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

$160 $160

$223 $223

-28.28%

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

$80.7 $80.7

$58.9 $58.9

36.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 $52.6

$70.6 $70.6

-25.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.42 $24.42

$57.7 $57.7

-57.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.11 $10.11

$16.53 $16.53

-38.84%

Cinema Ticket

$18.14 $18.14

$14.26 $14.26

27.21%

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

$1,154 $1,154

$1,511 $1,511

-23.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K $30.1K

$20.9K $20.9K

44.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$51.3 $51.3

13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 $49.56

$44.17 $44.17

12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$87.0 $87.0

17.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$104 $104

10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 $1,913

$1,940 $1,940

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 $1,749

$1,316 $1,316

32.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,193 $3,193

$3,664 $3,664

-12.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 $2,603

$2,565 $2,565

1.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,322 $3,322

$7,354 $7,354

-54.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,930 $2,930

$3,129 $3,129

-6.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,149 $4,149

$5,286 $5,286

-21.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.26

6.79

-7.81%

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

Last update for Aurora, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aurora, CO

$1.7K 54.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 24.8% $433

Eating Out

Aurora, CO

$410 12.8%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 14.5% $60

Groceries & Markets

Aurora, CO

$354 * 11.1%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 14.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aurora, CO

$293 9.1%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 20.2% $59

Getting Around

Aurora, CO

$191 * 6%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 69.6% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Aurora, CO

$147 4.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 12% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Aurora, CO

$61 1.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 42% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,913 in Aurora, CO and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Aurora, CO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $406 per month, with Aurora, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aurora, CO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:57 12:57 AM

01:57 1:57 AM

1 h ahead of Aurora, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,542

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aurora, CO Austin, TX 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Aurora, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Aurora, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $1,913 in Aurora, CO versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Aurora, CO pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $67.0 in Aurora, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 19% less than in Aurora, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.