Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ashburn, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,317 in Ashburn, VA, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Ashburn, VA
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Ashburn, VA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,317

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ashburn, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,317 in Ashburn, VA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Ashburn, VA $3,317

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,512 in Ashburn, VA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Ashburn, VA $4,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,708 in Ashburn, VA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Ashburn, VA $5,708

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 21% less than in Ashburn, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Ashburn, VA 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$24.82 $24.82

-18.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$90.2 $90.2

-6.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.86 $12.86

-5.75%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.06 $6.06

-6.77%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.97 $2.97

23.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.57 $2.57

-8.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.07 $8.07

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$9.93 $9.93

-11.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.18 $1.18

-3.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.01 $4.01

-7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.31 $5.31

-37.66%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.53 $5.53

-24.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$17.28 $17.28

-24.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$15.58 $15.58

-11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.85 $18.85

-13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.40 $5.40

-13.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.35 $2.35

-38.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.43 $6.43

-20.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.88 $5.88

-23.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.83 $2.83

8.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.76 $3.76

-36.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.40 $2.40

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.73 $2.73

-18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.64 $9.64

3.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.74 $15.74

-4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.25 $2.25

29.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.56 $4.56

-26.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.30 $2.30

-46.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$70.7 $70.7

-42.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.91 $2.91

-4.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.48 $1.48

11.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$22.07 $22.07

60.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.01 $1.01

-5.94%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$35.5K $35.5K

-3.66%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

5.45%

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

$223 $223

$165 $165

35.27%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$66.5 $66.5

-12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$78.0 $78.0

-8.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$61.1 $61.1

-13.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$11.98 $11.98

39.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$18.19 $18.19

-22.70%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,610 $1,610

-9.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$32.7K $32.7K

-34.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$53.8 $53.8

-2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$43.28 $43.28

-1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$99.5 $99.5

-13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$124 $124

-16.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,010 $2,010

5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,795 $1,795

-31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$4,037 $4,037

-4.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,250 $2,250

6.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,996 $2,996

147.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$3,103 $3,103

-1.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$7,539 $7,539

-31.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ashburn, VA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 54.1% 45.9% $565

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7% 19.1% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Ashburn, VA

$309 9.3% 12.3% $43

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Ashburn, VA

$392 11.8% 12.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Ashburn, VA

$144 4.3% 12.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Ashburn, VA

$97 2.9% 20.1% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Ashburn, VA

$90 2.7% 59.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,010 in Ashburn, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashburn, VA pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $90 in Ashburn, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $488 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

13:44 1:44 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

43,511

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Ashburn, VA 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ashburn, VA

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 Ashburn, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX and Ashburn, VA differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,607 vs $3,317 including rent). Austin, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,010 in Ashburn, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,610 in Ashburn, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Ashburn, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Ashburn, VA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.