Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Anderson, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Anderson, SC: $2,407 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Anderson, SC
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Anderson, SC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Anderson, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,407

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Anderson, SC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,407 in Anderson, SC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Anderson, SC $2,407

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,692 in Anderson, SC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Anderson, SC $3,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,976 in Anderson, SC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Anderson, SC $4,976

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 12% more expensive than in Anderson, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Anderson, SC 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$14.72 $14.72

40.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$102 $102

-16.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.89 $11.89

1.51%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.77 $6.77

-19.05%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.04 $3.04

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.74 $2.74

-9.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.01 $4.01

100.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.99 $4.99

77.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.00 $1.00

11.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.07 $4.07

-8.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$6.58 $6.58

-48.78%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.00 $5.00

-13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.67 $11.67

12.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$16.71 $16.71

-15.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$24.49 $24.49

-33.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$7.36 $7.36

-38.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.65 $1.65

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.49 $5.49

-14.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.13 $6.13

-32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.05 $3.05

-15.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.85 $3.85

-38.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.64 $2.64

-32.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.67 $2.67

-19.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.30 $7.30

38.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.67 $13.67

11.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.91 $2.91

-3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.69 $3.69

-6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$4.14 $4.14

-62.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$50.8 $50.8

-19.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$6.02 $6.02

-53.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.97 $0.97

64.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.84 $0.84

11.90%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.7K $28.7K

18.46%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$31.6K $31.6K

-15.29%

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

$223 $223

$237 $237

-6.02%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$90.2 $90.2

-34.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$64.8 $64.8

9.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.21 $40.21

43.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$22.84 $22.84

-27.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.95 $11.95

19.33%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,935 $2,935

-48.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$11.8K $11.8K

76.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$36.32 $36.32

41.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$29.44 $29.44

50.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$63.9 $63.9

36.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$62.8 $62.8

66.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,118 $1,118

73.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,002 $1,002

31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,789 $1,789

104.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,756 $1,756

46.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,069 $2,069

255.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,098 $2,098

49.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,278 $3,278

61.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.59

3.03%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Anderson, SC: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Anderson, SC

$1K 41.6% 23.9% $315

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Anderson, SC

$497 20.6% 22.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Anderson, SC

$392 16.3% 11.3% $40

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Anderson, SC

$288 12% 17.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Anderson, SC

$87 3.6% 32.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Anderson, SC

$64 2.7% 25.6% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Anderson, SC

$78 3.3% 35.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,118 in Anderson, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 61% 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 $102 in Anderson, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $497 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Anderson, SC

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

57,496

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Anderson, SC 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Anderson, SC

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 Anderson, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anderson, SC is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,118 in Anderson, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Anderson, SC runs roughly 24% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $2,935 in Anderson, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,407 in Anderson, SC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Anderson, SC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Anderson, SC 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 Anderson, SC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.