Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ashland, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Ashland, WI: $2,514 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, TX despite lower rent and utilities.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, WI
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Ashland, WI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Ashland, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,514

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ashland, WI

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

A single person spends $2,698 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,514 in Ashland, WI, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,698
Ashland, WI $2,514

A couple spends around $4,160 per month in Austin, TX vs $3,751 in Ashland, WI, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,160
Ashland, WI $3,751

A family of three spends $5,622 per month in Austin, TX vs $4,988 in Ashland, WI, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,622
Ashland, WI $4,988

Austin, TX costs about 7% more than Ashland, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Austin, TX and Ashland, WI sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 99%, Ashland, WI by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.40 $15.40

33.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$67.8 $67.8

24.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.99 $9.99

20.82%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.21 $5.21

5.18%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.02 $3.02

25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.63 $2.63

-6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.91 $5.91

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.67 $7.67

15.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.90 $0.90

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.95 $3.95

-5.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.48 $3.48

-3.16%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.07 $3.07

40.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.84 $9.84

33.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.54 $9.54

48.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.52 $13.52

20.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.84 $4.84

-5.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.11 $1.11

31.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.18 $6.18

-23.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.01 $5.01

-17.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.82 $3.82

-32.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.52 $3.52

-33.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.76 $1.76

21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$12.99 $12.99

-22.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.59 $14.59

4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.68 $1.68

67.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.56 $3.56

-3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.76 $1.76

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.48 $2.48

12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.51 $1.51

5.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.58 $30.58

12.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.03 $1.03

-8.74%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

23.00%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.48%

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

$223 $223

$232 $232

-4.17%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$51.2 $51.2

15.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$64.6 $64.6

9.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.22 $41.22

39.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.94 $12.94

10.20%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,451 $1,451

4.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$27.5K $27.5K

-23.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$42.18 $42.18

21.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.12 $40.12

10.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$79.8 $79.8

9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$111 $111

-6.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,802 $1,802

7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,310 $1,310

0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,314 $2,314

58.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,404 $2,404

6.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,475 $2,475

197.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,127 $2,127

47.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.31

7.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ashland, WI: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Ashland, WI

$1.3K 52.1% 0.5% $6.4

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Ashland, WI

$365 14.5% 10% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Ashland, WI

$348 13.9% 1.1% $4

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Ashland, WI

$283 11.3% 19.1% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Ashland, WI

$123 4.9% 4.8% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ashland, WI

$67 2.7% 22.2% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Ashland, WI

$17 * 0.7% 70.5% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,802 in Ashland, WI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $68.0 in Ashland, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $365 – making Ashland, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Ashland, WI

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

21,684

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ashland, WI 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ashland, WI

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 Ashland, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX costs about 7% more than Ashland, WI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,046 per month in Austin, TX and $3,771 in Ashland, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ashland, WI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX and $68.0 in Ashland, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Austin, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,698 in Austin, TX and $2,514 in Ashland, WI. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ashland, WI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ashland, WI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.