Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Alpena, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Alpena, MI: $1,895 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Alpena, MI
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Alpena, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Alpena, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Alpena, MI

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

A single person spends $2,698 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,895 in Alpena, MI, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,698
Alpena, MI $1,895

A couple spends around $4,160 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,745 in Alpena, MI, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,160
Alpena, MI $2,745

A family of three spends $5,622 per month in Austin, TX vs $3,595 in Alpena, MI, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,622
Alpena, MI $3,595

Austin, TX costs about 42% more than Alpena, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Austin, TX and Alpena, MI sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 99%, Alpena, MI by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.64 $20.64

-0.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$75.9 $75.9

11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.29 $10.29

17.30%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.30 $5.30

3.40%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.95 $1.95

94.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.02 $1.02

142.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.52 $5.52

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.45 $7.45

19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.88 $0.88

26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.62 $2.62

41.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.14 $4.14

-18.60%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.93 $3.93

9.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.39 $11.39

15.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.71 $11.71

20.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.06 $10.06

62.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.35 $4.35

4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.53 $1.53

-4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.88 $4.88

-3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.83 $4.83

-14.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.87 $2.87

-10.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.99 $2.99

-21.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.60 $1.60

10.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.04 $2.04

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.15 $9.15

10.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.80 $14.80

2.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.18 $2.18

29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.37 $3.37

2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.82 $1.82

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.18 $3.18

-11.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.92 $1.92

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$31.63 $31.63

8.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.04 $1.04

-9.62%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.9K $26.9K

26.27%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.28%

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

$223 $223

$202 $202

10.27%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$40.35 $40.35

45.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$44.81 $44.81

57.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$43.98 $43.98

31.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.17 $14.17

0.64%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,340 $1,340

12.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.2K $25.2K

-17.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$42.58 $42.58

20.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$30.04 $30.04

47.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$87.9 $87.9

-1.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$55.8 $55.8

86.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$960 $960

102.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$747 $747

76.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,718 $1,718

113.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,030 $1,030

149.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,659 $2,659

176.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,210 $2,210

41.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.35

6.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alpena, MI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Alpena, MI

$747 39.4% 43.3% $569

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Alpena, MI

$357 18.9% 12% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Alpena, MI

$287 15.2% 18.5% $65

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Alpena, MI

$314 16.6% 10.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Alpena, MI

$97 5.1% 24.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Alpena, MI

$72 3.8% 16.1% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Alpena, MI

$20 * 1.1% 65.3% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $960 in Alpena, MI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $76.0 in Alpena, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $357 – making Alpena, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Alpena, MI

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,637

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Alpena, MI 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Alpena, MI

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 Alpena, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX, $1,895 in Alpena, MI – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,046 per month in Austin, TX and $2,843 in Alpena, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alpena, MI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX and $76.0 in Alpena, MI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Austin, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alpena, MI, where all-in costs run around $1,895, than in Austin, TX at $2,698. In Alpena, MI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alpena, MI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alpena, MI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.