Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Alexandria, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria, LA: $2,082 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, LA
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Alexandria, LA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Alexandria, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Alexandria, LA

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 Alexandria, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,082 in Alexandria, LA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Alexandria, LA $2,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,933 in Alexandria, LA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Alexandria, LA $2,933

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,783 in Alexandria, LA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Alexandria, LA $3,783

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 28% more expensive than in Alexandria, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Alexandria, LA 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.12 $16.12

28.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$51.2 $51.2

65.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.72 $9.72

26.75%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.30 $5.30

6.23%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.49 $2.49

49.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.14 $2.14

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.93 $5.93

35.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.19 $8.19

10.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.34 $1.34

-16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.68 $1.68

123.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$6.08 $6.08

-46.38%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.51 $5.51

-24.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.97 $8.97

43.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.44 $6.44

119.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.67 $15.67

3.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.13 $5.13

-15.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.34 $1.34

8.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.35 $5.35

-15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.44 $5.44

-20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.36 $4.36

-40.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.24 $2.24

4.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.28 $2.28

-21.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.63 $2.63

-15.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.89 $8.89

11.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$17.03 $17.03

-11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.55 $2.55

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.89 $3.89

-11.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.57 $3.57

-23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.52 $1.52

9.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$34.46 $34.46

2.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.74 $0.74

28.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.9K $35.9K

0.34%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

6.09%

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

$229 $229

$186 $186

23.23%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$70.7 $70.7

-15.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$73.0 $73.0

-4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.58 $12.58

13.51%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,577 $1,577

-4.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.1K $10.1K

112.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$57.9 $57.9

-8.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$42.48 $42.48

3.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$87.3 $87.3

-2.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$122 $122

-15.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$936 $936

103.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$913 $913

39.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,454 $1,454

151.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,318 $1,318

92.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,266 $1,266

501.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,271 $1,271

148.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,989 $2,989

71.34%

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 Alexandria, LA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Alexandria, LA

$913 43.8% 28.3% $361

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Alexandria, LA

$378 18.1% 6.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Alexandria, LA

$330 15.8% 8% $29

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Alexandria, LA

$286 13.8% 19.1% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Alexandria, LA

$139 6.7% 8.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Alexandria, LA

$25 * 1.2% 70.7% $61

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Alexandria, LA

$11 * 0.5% 81% $48

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $936 in Alexandria, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 71% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $51.0 in Alexandria, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $378 per month, with Alexandria, LA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Alexandria, LA

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

160,035

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Alexandria, LA 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Alexandria, LA

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 Alexandria, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria, LA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% 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 $936 in Alexandria, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,082 in Alexandria, LA – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,082 in Alexandria, LA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Alexandria, LA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria, LA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Alexandria, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.