Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Augusta, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Augusta, ME: $2,388 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Augusta, ME
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Augusta, ME Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Augusta, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Augusta, ME

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,388 in Augusta, ME.

Austin, TX $2,607
Augusta, ME $2,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,317 in Augusta, ME.

Austin, TX $4,031
Augusta, ME $3,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,246 in Augusta, ME.

Austin, TX $5,454
Augusta, ME $4,246

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Augusta, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Augusta, ME 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.90 $19.90

2.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$53.1 $53.1

59.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.39 $10.39

16.65%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.40 $5.40

4.63%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.36 $2.36

55.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.59 $1.59

48.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.02 $5.02

56.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.72 $7.72

14.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.56 $4.56

-19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.45 $1.45

128.28%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.96 $3.96

4.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.09 $15.09

-13.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.12 $14.12

-1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.52 $19.52

-16.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$7.48 $7.48

-37.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.31 $1.31

10.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.09 $3.09

65.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.59 $4.59

-1.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.33 $2.33

32.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.86 $2.86

-16.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.08 $2.08

-13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.81 $1.81

22.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.98 $11.98

-16.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.99 $12.99

15.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.56 $1.56

86.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.55 $1.55

114.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.55 $2.55

9.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.27 $1.27

29.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$28.55 $28.55

23.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.90 $0.90

5.56%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.6K $29.6K

15.63%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.3K $24.3K

10.27%

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

$223 $223

$243 $243

-8.21%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$45.59 $45.59

28.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$61.0 $61.0

16.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$22.60 $22.60

134.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.13 $14.13

-0.50%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,656 $2,656

-45.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$36.6K $36.6K

-41.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$73.5 $73.5

-28.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$50.9 $50.9

-16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$113 $113

-23.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$154 $154

-32.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,200 $1,200

76.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,078 $1,078

14.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,602 $1,602

141.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,473 $1,473

63.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,386 $2,386

211.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,378 $2,378

28.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$1,948 $1,948

165.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.3

8.25%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Augusta, ME: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Augusta, ME

$1.1K 45.2% 12.4% $152

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Augusta, ME

$413 17.3% 0.8% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Augusta, ME

$349 14.6% 0.9% $3.2

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Augusta, ME

$312 13% 10.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Augusta, ME

$176 7.4% 37.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Augusta, ME

$51 2.1% 37.3% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Augusta, ME

$8.9 * 0.4% 84.3% $48

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,200 in Augusta, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $53 in Augusta, ME. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $413, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Augusta, ME

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

194,343

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Augusta, ME 2,900 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Augusta, ME

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 Augusta, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,607 in Austin, TX and $2,388 in Augusta, ME, so Augusta, ME is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 2.7 times higher, 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,200 in Augusta, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $2,656 in Augusta, ME. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,388 in Augusta, ME – Augusta, ME is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Augusta, ME gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Augusta, ME wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.