Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Baltimore, MD

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Baltimore, MD: $2,607 and $2,603 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Baltimore, MD

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 Baltimore, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,603 in Baltimore, MD.

Austin, TX $2,607
Baltimore, MD $2,603

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,940 in Baltimore, MD.

Austin, TX $4,031
Baltimore, MD $3,940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,277 in Baltimore, MD.

Austin, TX $5,454
Baltimore, MD $5,277

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Baltimore, MD; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Baltimore, MD 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.89 $17.89

13.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$94.6 $94.6

-10.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.58 $10.58

14.56%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.20 $5.20

8.65%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.45 $3.45

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.60 $2.60

-9.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.92 $6.92

13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.08 $8.08

9.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.15 $1.15

-0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.13 $4.13

-10.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.25 $4.25

-22.12%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.04 $5.04

-17.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.57 $12.57

3.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.88 $12.88

7.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.12 $18.12

-9.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.90 $5.90

-20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.54 $1.54

-5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.66 $5.66

-9.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.80 $4.80

-5.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.71 $2.71

13.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.87 $2.87

-17.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.36 $2.36

-23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.26 $2.26

-1.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$13.27 $13.27

-24.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.80 $15.80

-4.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.67 $2.67

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.82 $3.82

-12.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.06 $2.06

-40.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$77.6 $77.6

-47.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.76 $1.76

57.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.38 $1.38

19.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.89 $23.89

48.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.07 $1.07

-11.21%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.5K $34.5K

-0.93%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.65%

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

$223 $223

$217 $217

2.63%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$68.1 $68.1

-14.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$88.8 $88.8

-19.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$47.25 $47.25

12.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$47.67 $47.67

-64.86%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.95 $14.95

-5.95%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,934 $1,934

-24.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-39.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$53.3 $53.3

-1.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$62.1 $62.1

-31.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$94.0 $94.0

-8.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$111 $111

-6.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,735 $1,735

21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,165 $1,165

5.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,179 $2,179

77.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,026 $2,026

18.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,404 $2,404

208.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,214 $2,214

38.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,375 $4,375

18.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.72

1.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Baltimore, MD

$1.2K 44.8% 5.3% $65

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Baltimore, MD

$435 16.7% 6.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Baltimore, MD

$374 14.4% 6.1% $22

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Baltimore, MD

$312 12% 10.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.6% 12.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Baltimore, MD

$77 3% 4.9% $4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.6% 67.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,735 in Baltimore, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $95 in Baltimore, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $435 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

11:29 11:29 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

585,708

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Baltimore, MD 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Baltimore, MD

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 Baltimore, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 18% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,735 in Baltimore, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,934 in Baltimore, MD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $95 in Baltimore, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Baltimore, MD is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 – Baltimore, MD wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.