Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Amarillo, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Amarillo, TX: $2,247 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX, United States
Amarillo, TX, United States
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
Amarillo, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,247
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,607 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,247 in Amarillo, TX, rent included.

  • Austin, TX $2,607
  • Amarillo, TX $2,247

A couple spends around $4,031 per month in Austin, TX vs $3,305 in Amarillo, TX, rent included.

  • Austin, TX $4,031
  • Amarillo, TX $3,305

A family of three spends $5,454 per month in Austin, TX vs $4,363 in Amarillo, TX, rent included.

  • Austin, TX $5,454
  • Amarillo, TX $4,363

Austin, TX costs about 16% more than Amarillo, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Austin, TX and Amarillo, TX sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 92%, Amarillo, TX by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Amarillo, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.35 $20.35
$15.22 $15.22
33.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.7 $84.7
$68.0 $68.0
24.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 $12.12
$12.83 $12.83
-5.53%
Cappuccino
$5.65 $5.65
$6.80 $6.80
-16.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 $3.68
$2.22 $2.22
65.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.61 $1.61
46.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.87 $7.87
$4.08 $4.08
92.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.82 $8.82
$6.99 $6.99
26.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Amarillo, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.16 $1.16
-1.72%
White Bread (500g)
$3.69 $3.69
$3.37 $3.37
9.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$3.41 $3.41
-2.93%
Eggs
$4.15 $4.15
$4.52 $4.52
-8.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.98 $12.98
$16.19 $16.19
-19.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.86 $13.86
$12.66 $12.66
9.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.34 $16.34
$27.34 $27.34
-40.23%
Apples (1kg)
$4.69 $4.69
$4.03 $4.03
16.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.86 $1.86
-22.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.11 $5.11
$4.57 $4.57
11.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.52 $4.52
$3.75 $3.75
20.53%
Potato (1kg)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.15 $2.15
43.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 $2.38
$2.93 $2.93
-18.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 $1.80
$1.74 $1.74
3.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.60 $2.60
-14.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.97 $9.97
$9.85 $9.85
1.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.05 $15.05
$12.10 $12.10
24.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 $2.91
$2.08 $2.08
39.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$2.03 $2.03
64.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Amarillo, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.01 $1.01
20.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.53 $40.53
$30.36 $30.36
33.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.78 $2.78
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 $1.65
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.39 $35.39
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$0.89 $0.89
6.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K $34.2K
$27.6K $27.6K
24.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$25.5K $25.5K
4.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Amarillo, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$294 $294
-24.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.5 $58.5
$51.7 $51.7
13.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$89.9 $89.9
-20.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Amarillo, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.0 $53.0
$45.46 $45.46
16.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.75 $16.75
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.06 $14.06
$9.82 $9.82
43.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Amarillo, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,459 $1,459
$715 $715
104.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K $21.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Amarillo, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 $52.5
$37.62 $37.62
39.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.75 $42.75
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.4 $86.4
$59.9 $59.9
44.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$119 $119
-12.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Amarillo, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,112 $2,112
$911 $911
131.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,230 $1,230
$894 $894
37.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,863 $3,863
$1,810 $1,810
113.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,407 $2,407
$1,533 $1,533
57.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,426 $7,426
$1,572 $1,572
372.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,060 $3,060
$1,558 $1,558
96.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Amarillo, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,179 $5,179
$3,763 $3,763
37.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
6.12
11.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Amarillo, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.2K
Amarillo, TX
$894 27.3% $336
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$410
Amarillo, TX
$428 4.5% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$353
Amarillo, TX
$436 23.6% $83
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Amarillo, TX
$291 16.3% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Amarillo, TX
$98 * 24.1% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$81
Amarillo, TX
$65 19.8% $16
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$56
Amarillo, TX
$34 * 39% $22

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 $911 in Amarillo, TX. 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 38% 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 $68 in Amarillo, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $410 in Austin, TX vs $428 in Amarillo, TX – so Austin, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇺🇸 Amarillo, TX
🕒 Local time
22:08 10:08 PM
22:08 10:08 PM
Same time as Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
198,645
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Amarillo, TX 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Amarillo, TX

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 Amarillo, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Austin, TX and in Amarillo, TX compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX, $2,247 in Amarillo, TX – Amarillo, TX comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Austin, TX compared to Amarillo, TX?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,911 per month in Austin, TX and $3,370 in Amarillo, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Austin, TX and Amarillo, TX?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Amarillo, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $911 there versus $2,112 in Austin, TX.
How do commuting costs compare in Austin, TX and in Amarillo, TX?
Public transport costs about 25% less in Amarillo, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Austin, TX and Amarillo, TX?
Kindergarten costs $1,459 per month in Austin, TX and $715 in Amarillo, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Austin, TX compared to Amarillo, TX?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,607 in Austin, TX and $2,247 in Amarillo, TX, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Austin, TX or Amarillo, TX?
Families tend to lean toward Amarillo, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Austin, TX and Amarillo, TX?
If budget matters most, go with Amarillo, TX. 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.

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