Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Auburn, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Auburn, AL: $2,013 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, AL
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Auburn, AL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Auburn, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,013

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Auburn, AL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Auburn, AL $2,013

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,941 in Auburn, AL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Auburn, AL $2,941

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,870 in Auburn, AL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Auburn, AL $3,870

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 34% more expensive than in Auburn, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Auburn, AL 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$13.18 $13.18

56.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$47.90 $47.90

76.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.60 $10.60

13.87%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.11 $5.11

7.24%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.44 $2.44

55.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.72 $1.72

43.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.97 $4.97

61.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.12 $6.12

45.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.09 $1.09

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.64 $3.64

2.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.53 $5.53

-39.06%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.28 $4.28

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.81 $11.81

11.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.21 $6.21

127.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.76 $10.76

51.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.99 $4.99

-8.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.19 $1.19

22.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.48 $2.48

89.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.86 $2.86

45.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.85 $1.85

39.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.20 $2.20

6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.00 $2.00

-11.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.85 $1.85

15.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$6.67 $6.67

51.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.42 $12.42

22.30%

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

$5.11 $5.11

-32.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.78 $0.78

20.51%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$35.5K $35.5K

-24.62%

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

$223 $223

$207 $207

7.37%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$54.6 $54.6

7.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$64.1 $64.1

10.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$64.5 $64.5

-10.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.19 $15.19

-6.12%

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

$1,511 $1,511

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$49.99 $49.99

2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$48.26 $48.26

-8.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$67.9 $67.9

28.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$65.5 $65.5

59.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,288 $1,288

50.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$910 $910

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,090 $2,090

75.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,592 $1,592

61.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,054 $2,054

258.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,059 $2,059

52.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,356 $4,356

21.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.39

6.26%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Auburn, AL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Auburn, AL

$910 45.2% 30.9% $406

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Auburn, AL

$325 16.2% 19.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Auburn, AL

$326 16.2% 7.4% $26

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Auburn, AL

$252 12.5% 28% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Auburn, AL

$104 5.2% 19.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Auburn, AL

$95 4.7% 10.1% $8.7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Auburn, AL

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,288 in Auburn, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% 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 $48.00 in Auburn, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $325 per month, with Auburn, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Auburn, AL

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

76,143

💱 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 Auburn, AL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Auburn, AL

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 Auburn, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX and Auburn, AL differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,698 vs $2,013 including rent). Auburn, AL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,288 in Auburn, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Auburn, AL – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,013 in Auburn, AL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Auburn, AL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Auburn, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Auburn, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.