Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ames, IA: $2,142 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ames, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,142 in Ames, IA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ames, IA $2,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,242 in Ames, IA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ames, IA $3,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,342 in Ames, IA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ames, IA $4,342

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 24% more expensive than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Ames, IA 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$18.13 $18.13

14.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$52.0 $52.0

62.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.18 $12.18

1.15%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.87 $4.87

15.61%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.60 $2.60

43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.25 $2.25

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.05 $4.05

98.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.81 $6.81

32.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.89 $0.89

25.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.55 $3.55

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.34 $3.34

24.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.08 $10.08

27.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$13.62 $13.62

3.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.05 $19.05

-14.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.88 $5.88

-26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.82 $1.82

-19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$6.69 $6.69

-32.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.22 $5.22

-16.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.54 $4.54

-43.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.07 $4.07

-42.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.32 $2.32

-23.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.44 $2.44

-9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$13.03 $13.03

-24.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$16.11 $16.11

-6.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.87 $2.87

1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.98 $4.98

-30.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.99 $0.99

50.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$35.57 $35.57

17.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.09 $5.09

-46.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.69 $1.69

-1.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$24.13 $24.13

46.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.96 $0.96

-1.04%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$24.7K $24.7K

45.74%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.1K $25.1K

7.98%

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

$229 $229

$176 $176

29.89%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$54.3 $54.3

9.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$71.2 $71.2

-1.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$69.0 $69.0

-17.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.74 $19.74

-17.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.97 $15.97

-10.58%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,370 $1,370

9.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$36.1K $36.1K

-40.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$58.4 $58.4

-9.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$44.68 $44.68

-1.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$90.1 $90.1

-5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$105 $105

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,005 $1,005

89.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$822 $822

54.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,860 $1,860

96.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,505 $1,505

68.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,432 $2,432

213.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,185 $2,185

44.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,597 $3,597

42.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.41

5.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ames, IA

$822 38.4% 35.5% $452

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ames, IA

$436 20.4% 7.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ames, IA

$302 14.1% 15.8% $56

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ames, IA

$293 13.7% 17.1% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ames, IA

$134 6.3% 4.7% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ames, IA

$101 4.7% 17.7% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ames, IA

$53 2.5% 9.6% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $52.0 in Ames, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $436, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

66,427

💱 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 Ames, IA 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ames, IA

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 Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,005 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 17% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,370 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.