Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Aspen, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $5,133 in Aspen, CO, rent and utilities included – about $30,300 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
248

Cost of Living Index in Aspen, CO
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Aspen, CO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$5,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Aspen, CO

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

A single person spends $2,607 per month in Austin, TX vs $5,133 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,607
Aspen, CO $5,133

A couple spends around $4,031 per month in Austin, TX vs $7,501 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,031
Aspen, CO $7,501

A family of three spends $5,454 per month in Austin, TX vs $9,870 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,454
Aspen, CO $9,870

Austin, TX is about 49% cheaper than Aspen, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Austin, TX and Aspen, CO sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 92%, Aspen, CO by 277%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.05 $20.05

1.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$79.1 $79.1

7.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.99 $10.99

10.28%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.82 $5.82

-2.92%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.52 $3.52

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.95 $2.95

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.88 $6.88

14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.03 $8.03

9.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.18 $1.18

-3.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.32 $5.32

-30.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$6.42 $6.42

-48.44%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.75 $5.75

-27.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.72 $11.72

10.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.86 $10.86

27.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.38 $17.38

-5.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.71 $5.71

-17.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.15 $6.15

-16.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.27 $6.27

-27.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.16 $4.16

-25.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.80 $3.80

-37.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.47 $3.47

-48.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.76 $2.76

-19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.41 $10.41

-4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.18 $17.18

-12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.85 $1.85

57.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.96 $4.96

-32.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$89.3 $89.3

-54.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.54 $2.54

9.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.43 $1.43

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.11 $24.11

46.79%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

20.78%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.00%

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

$223 $223

$151 $151

47.34%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$70.8 $70.8

-17.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$75.1 $75.1

-5.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$137 $137

-61.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$16.17 $16.17

-13.05%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,907 $1,907

-23.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$30.2K $30.2K

-29.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$70.1 $70.1

-25.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$48.73 $48.73

-12.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$90.3 $90.3

-4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$146 $146

-28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$4,013 $4,013

-47.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$3,599 $3,599

-65.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$7,964 $7,964

-51.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$6,465 $6,465

-62.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$10.6K $10.6K

-30.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$7,609 $7,609

-59.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,994 $4,994

3.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.55

4.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aspen, CO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Aspen, CO

$3.6K 70.1% 193% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Aspen, CO

$469 9.1% 14.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Aspen, CO

$297 5.8% 15.7% $55

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Aspen, CO

$340 6.6% 2.5% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Aspen, CO

$160 3.1% 24.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Aspen, CO

$169 3.3% 109% $88

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Aspen, CO

$99 * 1.9% 75.3% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $4,013 in Aspen, CO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Austin, TX, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Austin, TX versus $79 in Aspen, CO. Groceries tell a different story – $410 in Austin, TX vs $469 in Aspen, CO – so Austin, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Aspen, CO

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Aspen, CO 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Aspen, CO

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 Aspen, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aspen, CO costs about 97% more than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,911 per month in Austin, TX and $7,699 in Aspen, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Austin, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,112 there versus $4,013 in Aspen, CO.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Aspen, CO, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Austin, TX and $79 in Aspen, CO. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,607 in Austin, TX and $5,133 in Aspen, CO. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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