Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria, MN: $2,163 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, MN
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Alexandria, MN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Alexandria, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,163 in Alexandria, MN.

Austin, TX $2,698
Alexandria, MN $2,163

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,319 in Alexandria, MN.

Austin, TX $4,160
Alexandria, MN $3,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,476 in Alexandria, MN.

Austin, TX $5,622
Alexandria, MN $4,476

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 25% more expensive than in Alexandria, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Alexandria, MN 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.29 $15.29

34.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$59.4 $59.4

42.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.91 $9.91

21.80%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.17 $5.17

6.00%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.01 $2.01

89.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.01 $2.01

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.34 $5.34

50.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.35 $7.35

20.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.90 $0.90

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.23 $3.23

15.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.41 $3.41

-1.17%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.06 $3.06

41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.78 $9.78

34.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.38 $9.38

50.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.19 $13.19

23.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.98 $4.98

-8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.12 $1.12

30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.21 $6.21

-24.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.10 $5.10

-18.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.92 $3.92

-34.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.45 $3.45

-31.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.76 $1.76

21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$13.13 $13.13

-23.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.66 $14.66

3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.72 $1.72

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.53 $3.53

-2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$125 $125

-67.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.56 $2.56

9.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.61 $1.61

-0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.89 $30.89

11.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 $1.02

-7.84%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

24.90%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.09%

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

$223 $223

$230 $230

-3.14%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$50.8 $50.8

15.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$64.6 $64.6

9.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$75.6 $75.6

-23.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$49.63 $49.63

-66.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$9.86 $9.86

44.62%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,009 $1,009

49.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$27.6K $27.6K

-24.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$24.63 $24.63

108.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$24.54 $24.54

79.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$49.14 $49.14

77.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$59.3 $59.3

76.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,128 $1,128

72.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$887 $887

48.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,091 $2,091

75.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,749 $1,749

46.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,843 $2,843

158.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,764 $2,764

13.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,362 $3,362

57.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.31

7.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alexandria, MN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Alexandria, MN

$887 41% 32.6% $429

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Alexandria, MN

$358 16.5% 11.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Alexandria, MN

$345 16% 2% $6.9

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Alexandria, MN

$272 12.6% 22.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Alexandria, MN

$71 3.3% 45.1% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Alexandria, MN

$95 4.4% 10.6% $9.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Alexandria, MN

$136 * 6.3% 134% $78

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,128 in Alexandria, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 57% 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 $59.0 in Alexandria, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $358 per month, with Alexandria, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Alexandria, MN

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 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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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Alexandria, MN 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Alexandria, MN

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, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 57% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,128 in Alexandria, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,009 in Alexandria, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,163 in Alexandria, MN versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria, MN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria, MN 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, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.