Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Arrest

For one person, living is cheaper in Arrest: $1,692 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Arrest
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Arrest Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Arrest

🇫🇷 France

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,692 in Arrest.

Austin, TX $2,663
Arrest $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,690 in Arrest.

Austin, TX $4,133
Arrest $2,690

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,687 in Arrest.

Austin, TX $5,603
Arrest $3,687

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 57% more expensive than in Arrest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Arrest 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.07 €15.18

21.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$55.5 €49.39

52.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.59 €12.09

-9.35%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.92 €2.60

92.81%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.06 €2.72

21.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.07 €1.84

20.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.32 €7.40

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.43 €4.83

65.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.29 €1.14

-13.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.69 €1.51

121.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.56 €2.28

27.34%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.97 €3.53

5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.14 €9.02

27.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.97 €10.65

18.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.82 €14.07

2.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.02 €2.68

43.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.00 €2.67

-51.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.43 €1.27

215.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.16 €3.70

4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.78 €1.58

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.01 €1.79

16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.60 €1.42

11.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.16 €0.14

1287.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$12.68 €11.28

-22.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.46 €4.86

176.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.46 €1.30

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.63 €1.45

112.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.88 €1.68

-20.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$41.07 €36.53

1.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.29 €2.04

19.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.14 €1.02

45.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$32.87 €29.24

7.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.18 €1.94

-56.42%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.3K €30.5K

4.99%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$36.3K €32.3K

-25.33%

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

$229 $229

$207 €184

10.63%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$32.86 €29.23

80.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.63 €28.13

121.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.48 €33.34

52.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.53 €13.82

-8.05%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$899 €799

67.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,786 €8,705

119.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$129 €114

-58.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$46.89 €41.71

-6.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$102 €91.1

-17.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$158 €141

-34.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$806 €717

136.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$522 €464

144.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,433 €1,275

155.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,150 €1,023

120.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,381 €3,897

73.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,174 €2,823

-0.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.9

74.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arrest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Arrest

$522 30.8% 59% $752

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Arrest

$292 17.3% 27.7% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Arrest

$271 16% 24.2% $87

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Arrest

$285 16.9% 19.4% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Arrest

$196 11.6% 53.3% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Arrest

$69 4.1% 20.1% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Arrest

$57 3.4% 3.5% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $806 in Arrest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $56.0 in Arrest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $292 per month, with Arrest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇫🇷 Arrest

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

23:01 11:01 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

900

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Arrest 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Arrest

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 Arrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arrest is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,539 in Arrest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $806 in Arrest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $899 in Arrest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,692 in Arrest versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arrest but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Arrest 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Arrest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Arrest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.