Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ashford

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashford: $2,427 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Ashford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,427
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,427 in Ashford.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Ashford $2,427

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,351 in Ashford.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Ashford $3,351

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,276 in Ashford.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Ashford $4,276

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 10% more expensive than in Ashford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Ashford 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Ashford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$20.96 £15.73
-0.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$79.9 £60.0
5.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$10.49 £7.87
17.45%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$5.74 £4.30
-1.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.74 £2.05
35.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.82 £1.37
37.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$3.89 £2.92
106.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$7.09 £5.32
27.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Ashford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.48 £1.11
-24.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.32 £0.99
184.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.69 £1.26
92.90%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.00 £2.25
39.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$5.22 £3.92
147.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$6.91 £5.18
104.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$14.39 £10.79
12.72%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.28 £2.46
32.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.44 £1.08
1.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.67 £2.01
68.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.17 £2.38
36.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.67 £1.25
54.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.46 £1.09
60.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.44 £1.08
23.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.42 £1.07
56.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$18.83 £14.13
-47.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$9.24 £6.93
63.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.67 £2.00
9.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$3.63 £2.73
-4.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Ashford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$3.89 £2.92
-61.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$146 £110
-71.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$6.11 £4.58
-55.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.68 £1.26
-1.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$21.44 £16.08
64.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$2.07 £1.55
-54.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$35.0K £26.2K
3.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$41.1K £30.9K
-34.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Ashford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$244 £183
-6.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$24.30 £18.23
144.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$38.52 £28.90
81.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Ashford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$61.3 £45.99
-6.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$18.74 £14.06
-12.86%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$21.45 £16.10
-33.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Ashford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$1,076 £808
39.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$19.8K £14.9K
8.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Ashford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$69.5 £52.1
-23.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$31.50 £23.63
39.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$76.7 £57.6
10.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$100 £75.1
2.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Ashford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$1,115 £836
71.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$1,133 £850
12.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,708 £1,282
114.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,425 £1,069
78.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$6,328 £4,748
20.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$4,671 £3,504
-32.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Ashford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$2,452 £1,840
108.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
4.91
38.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ashford: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Ashford
$1.1K 11.1% $141
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Ashford
$262 35.4% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Ashford
$307 14.4% $52
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Ashford
$320 9.6% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Ashford
$125 2.3% $3
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Ashford
$104 21.5% $18
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Ashford
$176 201% $118

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,115 in Ashford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 109% 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 $80.0 in Ashford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $262 per month, with Ashford cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇬🇧 Ashford
🕒 Local time
21:47 9:47 PM
03:47 3:47 AM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
58,936
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Ashford 7,990 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Ashford

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 Ashford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ashford cheaper than Austin, TX?
Ashford is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Austin, TX or Ashford?
Average pay runs 109% 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.
What is the rent difference between Austin, TX and Ashford?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,115 in Ashford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Austin, TX or in Ashford?
Dining out is cheaper in Ashford – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Austin, TX and in Ashford?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,427 in Ashford – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Austin, TX or in Ashford?
At $2,427 in Ashford versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ashford but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ashford the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Austin, TX or in Ashford?
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.
Which city is safer, Austin, TX or Ashford?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Ashford are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Ashford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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