Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Athens, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, TN: $2,061 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Athens, TN
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Athens, TN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Athens, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,061

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Athens, TN

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

A single person spends $2,698 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,061 in Athens, TN, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,698
Athens, TN $2,061

A couple spends around $4,160 per month in Austin, TX vs $3,191 in Athens, TN, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,160
Athens, TN $3,191

A family of three spends $5,622 per month in Austin, TX vs $4,320 in Athens, TN, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,622
Athens, TN $4,320

Austin, TX costs about 31% more than Athens, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Austin, TX and Athens, TN sit above the global median – Austin, TX by 99%, Athens, TN by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$30.18 $30.18

-31.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$109 $109

-22.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.76 $11.76

2.64%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.64 $5.64

-2.84%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.70 $2.70

40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.09 $2.09

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.82 $6.82

18.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.86 $7.86

12.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.88 $0.88

26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.57 $2.57

44.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.43 $3.43

-1.75%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.84 $4.84

-10.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.56 $13.56

-3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.40 $6.40

121.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.74 $19.74

-17.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.95 $5.95

-23.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.08 $6.08

-22.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.22 $5.22

-20.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.73 $3.73

-30.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.66 $2.66

-11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.25 $2.25

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.67 $1.67

28.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$6.98 $6.98

44.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.93 $14.93

1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.93 $1.93

46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.90 $4.90

-29.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.30 $2.30

-33.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.52 $3.52

-20.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.46 $1.46

9.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.41 $24.41

40.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.93 $0.93

1.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$36.8K $36.8K

-7.70%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.05%

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

$223 $223

$219 $219

1.47%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$70.0 $70.0

-15.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$56.0 $56.0

26.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$45.44 $45.44

26.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$7.88 $7.88

80.96%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,820 $1,820

-16.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$22.3K $22.3K

-6.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$53.5 $53.5

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$45.57 $45.57

-3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$96.8 $96.8

-10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$110 $110

-4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$855 $855

126.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$701 $701

87.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,458 $1,458

151.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,147 $1,147

123.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,706 $2,706

171.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,409 $2,409

29.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$8,472 $8,472

-37.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.54

3.82%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Athens, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Athens, TN

$701 34% 46.8% $616

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Athens, TN

$383 18.6% 5.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Athens, TN

$345 16.8% 1.9% $6.7

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Athens, TN

$413 20.1% 18.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Athens, TN

$137 6.7% 6.5% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Athens, TN

$61 3% 29% $25

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Athens, TN

$20 * 1% 65.5% $38

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 $855 in Athens, TN. 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 60% higher in Athens, TN, 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $109 in Athens, TN. Groceries tell a different story – $406 in Austin, TX vs $383 in Athens, TN – so Athens, TN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Athens, TN

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

115,452

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Athens, TN 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Athens, TN

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 Athens, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX costs about 31% more than Athens, TN, 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 $3,092 in Athens, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, TN, 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 $109 in Athens, TN. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Athens, TN, where all-in costs run around $2,061, than in Austin, TX at $2,698. In Athens, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Athens, TN. 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.