Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Allentown, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Allentown, PA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Austin, TX, United States
Allentown, PA, United States
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
Allentown, PA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,765
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Allentown, PA

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

A single person spends $2,607 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent included.

  • Austin, TX $2,607
  • Allentown, PA $2,765

A couple spends around $4,031 per month in Austin, TX vs $3,896 in Allentown, PA, rent included.

  • Austin, TX $4,031
  • Allentown, PA $3,896

A family of three spends $5,454 per month in Austin, TX vs $5,027 in Allentown, PA, rent included.

  • Austin, TX $5,454
  • Allentown, PA $5,027

Austin, TX is about 6% cheaper than Allentown, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Austin, TX and Allentown, PA sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 92%, Allentown, PA by 103%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Allentown, PA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.35 $20.35
$19.81 $19.81
2.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.7 $84.7
$91.8 $91.8
-7.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 $12.12
$12.23 $12.23
-0.90%
Cappuccino
$5.65 $5.65
$5.60 $5.60
0.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 $3.68
$2.62 $2.62
40.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.57 $1.57
50.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.87 $7.87
$4.92 $4.92
59.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.82 $8.82
$5.84 $5.84
51.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Allentown, PA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.19 $1.19
-4.20%
White Bread (500g)
$3.69 $3.69
$2.10 $2.10
75.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$2.43 $2.43
36.21%
Eggs
$4.15 $4.15
$3.65 $3.65
13.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.98 $12.98
$15.62 $15.62
-16.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.86 $13.86
$8.37 $8.37
65.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.34 $16.34
$18.95 $18.95
-13.77%
Apples (1kg)
$4.69 $4.69
$6.78 $6.78
-30.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.65 $1.65
-12.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.11 $5.11
$2.86 $2.86
78.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.52 $4.52
$6.65 $6.65
-32.03%
Potato (1kg)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.68 $2.68
14.93%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 $2.38
$3.30 $3.30
-27.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 $1.80
$2.23 $2.23
-19.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.53 $2.53
-12.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.97 $9.97
$11.71 $11.71
-14.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.05 $15.05
$14.72 $14.72
2.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 $2.91
$2.33 $2.33
24.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$2.71 $2.71
22.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Allentown, PA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 $1.22
$2.55 $2.55
-52.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.53 $40.53
$61.0 $61.0
-33.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.94 $2.94
-5.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 $1.65
$2.20 $2.20
-25.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.39 $35.39
$41.24 $41.24
-14.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.10 $1.10
-13.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K $34.2K
$27.2K $27.2K
25.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$26.5K $26.5K
1.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Allentown, PA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$188 $188
18.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.5 $58.5
$54.2 $54.2
7.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$70.6 $70.6
0.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Allentown, PA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.0 $53.0
$30.16 $30.16
75.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.75 $16.75
$25.42 $25.42
-34.11%
Cinema Ticket
$14.06 $14.06
$13.03 $13.03
7.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Allentown, PA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,459 $1,459
$1,204 $1,204
21.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K $21.3K
$11.8K $11.8K
81.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Allentown, PA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 $52.5
$37.88 $37.88
38.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.75 $42.75
$51.3 $51.3
-16.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.4 $86.4
$89.7 $89.7
-3.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$118 $118
-11.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Allentown, PA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,112 $2,112
$1,668 $1,668
26.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,230 $1,230
$1,470 $1,470
-16.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,863 $3,863
$2,481 $2,481
55.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,407 $2,407
$2,048 $2,048
17.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,426 $7,426
$2,166 $2,166
242.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,060 $3,060
$1,905 $1,905
60.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Allentown, PA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,179 $5,179
$3,074 $3,074
68.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
6.43
6.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Allentown, PA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.2K
Allentown, PA
$1.5K 19.4% $239
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$410
Allentown, PA
$392 4.4% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$353
Allentown, PA
$313 11.3% $40
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Allentown, PA
$315 9.4% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Allentown, PA
$134 4% $5.1
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$81
Allentown, PA
$56 30.7% $25
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$56
Allentown, PA
$85 50.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,668 in Allentown, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in Austin, TX, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Austin, TX versus $92 in Allentown, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $410 in Austin, TX vs $392 in Allentown, PA – so Allentown, PA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇺🇸 Allentown, PA
🕒 Local time
18:00 6:00 PM
19:00 7:00 PM
1 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
120,443
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Allentown, PA 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Allentown, PA

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 Allentown, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Allentown, PA?
Allentown, PA costs about 6% more than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Allentown, PA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,911 per month in Austin, TX and $4,147 in Allentown, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Austin, TX or Allentown, PA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Allentown, PA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,668 there versus $2,112 in Austin, TX.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Allentown, PA?
Public transport costs about 34% less in Austin, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Allentown, PA?
Kindergarten costs $1,459 per month in Austin, TX and $1,204 in Allentown, PA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Allentown, PA?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,607 in Austin, TX and $2,765 in Allentown, PA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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