Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Abilene, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Abilene, TX: $2,305 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Abilene, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Abilene, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,305 in Abilene, TX.

Austin, TX $2,689
Abilene, TX $2,305

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,220 in Abilene, TX.

Austin, TX $4,112
Abilene, TX $3,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $4,134 in Abilene, TX.

Austin, TX $5,534
Abilene, TX $4,134

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 17% more expensive than in Abilene, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Abilene, TX 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$17.88 $17.88

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$65.3 $65.3

34.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$8.92 $8.92

39.46%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.48 $5.48

2.19%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.37 $2.37

54.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.81 $1.81

32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.98 $4.98

57.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$5.73 $5.73

52.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.01 $1.01

10.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.37 $2.37

52.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$5.69 $5.69

-38.49%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.89 $3.89

14.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$8.85 $8.85

48.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$13.13 $13.13

6.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$14.54 $14.54

13.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.50 $3.50

35.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.02 $1.02

47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.63 $4.63

0.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.18 $5.18

-12.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.23 $4.23

-39.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.51 $3.51

-31.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.49 $2.49

-26.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.96 $1.96

8.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.16 $9.16

9.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.40 $11.40

30.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.59 $2.59

8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.91 $3.91

-15.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.74 $1.74

-29.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$53.9 $53.9

-23.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$14.81 $14.81

137.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.87 $0.87

12.64%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$23.4K $23.4K

47.00%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.15%

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

$252 $252

$241 $241

4.85%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$57.8 $57.8

3.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$61.7 $61.7

12.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$16.82 $16.82

258.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$11.90 $11.90

15.55%

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

$1,458 $1,458

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$8,610 $8,610

208.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$42.92 $42.92

22.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$20.33 $20.33

125.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$63.2 $63.2

35.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$63.9 $63.9

65.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,015 $1,015

116.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,097 $1,097

15.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,315 $1,315

204.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,557 $1,557

54.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,144 $2,144

244.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,735 $1,735

70.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,412 $3,412

47.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.49

5.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Abilene, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Abilene, TX

$1.1K 47.6% 13.6% $172

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Abilene, TX

$373 16.2% 8.5% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Abilene, TX

$360 15.6% 5.7% $22

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Abilene, TX

$289 12.5% 18.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Abilene, TX

$86 3.7% 34.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Abilene, TX

$41 1.8% 53.8% $47

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Abilene, TX

$61 * 2.6% 6.5% $3.7

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,015 in Abilene, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $65 in Abilene, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $373 per month, with Abilene, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🕒 Local time

22:38 10:38 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

125,182

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Abilene, TX 320 km

From you

Austin, TX
Abilene, 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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,689 in Austin, TX and $2,305 in Abilene, TX, so Abilene, TX is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,015 in Abilene, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Abilene, TX – a meal for two runs $65 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 23% less than in Abilene, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Abilene, TX gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

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