Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Albany, NY

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Albany, NY: $2,663 and $2,776 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Albany, NY

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 Albany, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,776 in Albany, NY.

Austin, TX $2,663
Albany, NY $2,776

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,419 in Albany, NY.

Austin, TX $4,133
Albany, NY $4,419

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,061 in Albany, NY.

Austin, TX $5,603
Albany, NY $6,061

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 4% less than in Albany, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Albany, NY 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$27.00 $27.00

-23.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$100 $100

-15.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$14.87 $14.87

-17.15%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.30 $6.30

-10.63%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.71 $2.71

37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.04 $2.04

22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.98 $5.98

34.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$10.40 $10.40

-13.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.05 $1.05

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.21 $3.21

16.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$7.07 $7.07

-53.89%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.10 $5.10

-18.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$16.37 $16.37

-21.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$16.25 $16.25

-12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.60 $18.60

-12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.72 $4.72

-8.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.40 $1.40

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.45 $5.45

-17.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.77 $4.77

-9.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.17 $3.17

-18.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.54 $3.54

-33.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.34 $2.34

-23.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.95 $1.95

13.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$15.11 $15.11

-34.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.25 $14.25

5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.07 $2.07

41.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.99 $3.99

-13.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.51 $1.51

-1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$63.9 $63.9

-34.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.13 $5.13

-46.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.36 $1.36

22.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$29.58 $29.58

19.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.07 $1.07

-11.21%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-0.11%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.2K $25.2K

7.23%

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

$229 $229

$215 $215

6.67%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$69.7 $69.7

-14.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$87.9 $87.9

-20.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$38.64 $38.64

48.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$38.03 $38.03

-57.06%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.98 $14.98

-4.67%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,475 $1,475

2.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.9K $16.9K

27.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$54.2 $54.2

-2.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$40.55 $40.55

8.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$111 $111

-23.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$106 $106

-3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,440 $1,440

32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,256 $1,256

1.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,882 $2,882

27.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,595 $2,595

-2.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,454 $2,454

210.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,478 $2,478

27.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,245 $4,245

20.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.66

1.95%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Albany, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Albany, NY

$1.3K 45.2% 1.4% $18

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Albany, NY

$451 16.3% 11.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Albany, NY

$372 13.4% 3.9% $14

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Albany, NY

$406 14.6% 14.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Albany, NY

$140 5.1% 9.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Albany, NY

$69 2.5% 20% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Albany, NY

$82 3% 39.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,440 in Albany, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $100 in Albany, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $451 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

20:15 8:15 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

101,228

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Albany, NY 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Albany, NY

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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 Albany, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Albany, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,440 in Albany, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $100 in Albany, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,776 in Albany, NY – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 4% less than in Albany, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.