Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Alton

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton: $2,530 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Alton
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Alton Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Alton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,530 in Alton, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,663
Alton $2,530

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $3,777 in Alton, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
Alton $3,777

A family of three spends $5,603 per month in Austin, TX vs $5,024 in Alton, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,603
Alton $5,024

Austin, TX costs about 5% more than Alton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Austin, TX and Alton sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 97%, Alton by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$26.36 £19.78

-21.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$105 £78.8

-19.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.66 £8.00

15.57%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.55 £4.17

1.44%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.00 £2.25

24.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.10 £1.58

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$9.03 £6.77

-10.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.83 £5.87

15.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.88 £1.41

-40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.09 £1.57

79.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.37 £1.78

37.55%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.37 £2.53

23.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.69 £9.52

1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.83 £8.12

30.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.10 £12.83

-5.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.11 £2.33

39.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.40 £1.05

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.00 £2.25

50.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.33 £2.49

30.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.67 £1.25

54.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.81 £1.36

29.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.45 £1.09

22.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.87 £1.40

18.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$23.32 £17.49

-57.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.63 £7.98

41.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.34 £1.76

24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.67 £2.01

29.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.34 £2.51

-55.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$96.8 £72.6

-56.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.49 £4.12

-50.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.37 £2.53

-50.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$25.82 £19.37

36.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.12 £1.59

-55.19%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$38.8K £29.1K

-7.10%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.6K £30.4K

-33.26%

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

$229 $229

$366 £275

-37.44%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$17.92 £13.44

231.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$40.71 £30.54

71.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.21 £33.92

26.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.61 £13.21

-18.91%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,896 £2,173

-48.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$35.1K £26.3K

-38.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$113 £84.6

-53.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$54.4 £40.77

-19.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$125 £94.1

-32.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$97.4 £73.0

5.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,241 £931

53.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$992 £744

28.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,118 £1,589

72.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,668 £1,252

52.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,099 £3,825

49.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,932 £2,950

-19.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.65

46.02%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alton: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Alton

$992 39.2% 22.1% $282

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Alton

$334 13.2% 17.5% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Alton

$425 16.8% 18.5% $66

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Alton

$391 15.4% 10.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Alton

$175 6.9% 37.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Alton

$80 3.2% 6.3% $5.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Alton

$133 5.2% 126% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,241 in Alton. 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 $105 in Alton. Groceries tell a different story – $405 in Austin, TX vs $334 in Alton – so Alton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Alton

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

03:47 3:47 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

17,816

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Alton 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Alton

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX, $2,530 in Alton – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Austin, TX and $3,795 in Alton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 132% less in Alton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,506 per month in Austin, TX and $2,896 in Alton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alton, where all-in costs run around $2,530, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Alton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alton – 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 Alton. 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.