Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Alton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton, IL: $1,910 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Alton, IL

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

A single person spends $2,607 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,910 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,607
Alton, IL $1,910

A couple spends around $4,031 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,881 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,031
Alton, IL $2,881

A family of three spends $5,454 per month in Austin, TX vs $3,852 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,454
Alton, IL $3,852

Austin, TX costs about 37% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Austin, TX and Alton, IL sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 92%, Alton, IL by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$21.04 $21.04

-3.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$55.0 $55.0

53.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.83 $10.83

11.91%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.90 $4.90

15.31%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.46 $1.46

152.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.75 $1.75

34.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.12 $4.12

91.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.04 $6.04

46.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.75 $0.75

52.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.50 $2.50

47.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.17 $3.17

4.42%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.19 $3.19

30.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.53 $9.53

36.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$6.70 $6.70

106.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$24.15 $24.15

-32.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.47 $4.47

4.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.23 $1.23

17.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.15 $5.15

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.91 $4.91

-7.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.16 $2.16

42.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.83 $2.83

-15.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.08 $2.08

-13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.14 $2.14

3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.90 $10.90

-8.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.13 $12.13

24.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.81 $1.81

60.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.64 $2.64

26.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.95 $2.95

-5.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.67 $1.67

-1.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.99 $0.99

-4.04%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.4K $27.4K

24.98%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.37%

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

$223 $223

$338 $338

-34.11%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$44.08 $44.08

32.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$76.4 $76.4

-6.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$27.65 $27.65

91.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.15 $12.15

15.72%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$280 $280

420.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$39.41 $39.41

33.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$42.27 $42.27

1.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$65.2 $65.2

32.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$74.8 $74.8

38.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$740 $740

185.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$631 $631

95.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,107 $1,107

249.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,281 $1,281

87.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,534 $1,534

384.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,426 $1,426

114.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,767 $3,767

37.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

13.67%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Alton, IL

$631 33% 48.7% $600

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Alton, IL

$352 18.4% 14.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Alton, IL

$459 24% 30.1% $106

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Alton, IL

$305 16% 12.4% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Alton, IL

$100 5.2% 22.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Alton, IL

$52 2.7% 36% $29

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 80% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $740 in Alton, IL. 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 37% higher in Austin, TX. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Austin, TX versus $55 in Alton, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $352 – making Alton, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

25,676

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Alton, IL 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX costs about 37% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,911 per month in Austin, TX and $2,865 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $740 there versus $2,112 in Austin, TX.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,607 in Austin, TX and $1,910 in Alton, IL. That makes Alton, IL about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,459 per month in Austin, TX and $280 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

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