Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Barnegat, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnegat, NJ: $2,609 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Barnegat, NJ
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Barnegat, NJ Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Barnegat, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Barnegat, NJ

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 Barnegat, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,689
Barnegat, NJ $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,925 in Barnegat, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,112
Barnegat, NJ $3,925

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,242 in Barnegat, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,534
Barnegat, NJ $5,242

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in Barnegat, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Barnegat, NJ 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$18.22 $18.22

17.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$95.6 $95.6

-8.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$10.68 $10.68

16.48%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.17 $5.17

8.32%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$3.30 $3.30

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.72 $2.72

-12.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.08 $7.08

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$8.15 $8.15

7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.10 $1.10

1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.06 $4.06

-10.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.22 $4.22

-17.06%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.86 $4.86

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$12.57 $12.57

4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$13.01 $13.01

7.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$18.55 $18.55

-11.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$6.17 $6.17

-23.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.54 $1.54

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.55 $5.55

-16.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.88 $3.88

16.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.79 $2.79

-8.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.85 $2.85

-16.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.36 $2.36

-22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.23 $2.23

-4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$13.69 $13.69

-26.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.74 $15.74

-5.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.61 $2.61

8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.94 $3.94

-16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.04 $2.04

-39.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$58.0 $58.0

-28.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.78 $1.78

50.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.38 $1.38

18.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$24.24 $24.24

45.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.97 $0.97

1.03%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$33.3K $33.3K

3.22%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.09%

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

$252 $252

$211 $211

19.47%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$65.9 $65.9

-9.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$81.5 $81.5

-14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$40.06 $40.06

50.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$14.52 $14.52

-5.30%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,951 $1,951

-25.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$20.6K $20.6K

29.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$52.9 $52.9

-0.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$62.6 $62.6

-26.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$92.0 $92.0

-7.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$110 $110

-3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,398 $1,398

57.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,217 $1,217

4.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,354 $2,354

69.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,111 $2,111

13.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$3,227 $3,227

128.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,127 $2,127

39.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.9

-1.16%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barnegat, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Barnegat, NJ

$1.2K 46.7% 4.1% $52

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Barnegat, NJ

$431 16.5% 5.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Barnegat, NJ

$358 13.7% 6.1% $23

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Barnegat, NJ

$316 12.1% 11.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Barnegat, NJ

$143 5.5% 9.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Barnegat, NJ

$69 2.7% 21.4% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Barnegat, NJ

$75 2.9% 30.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,398 in Barnegat, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $96 in Barnegat, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $431 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Barnegat, NJ

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

17:30 5:30 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,817

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Barnegat, NJ 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Barnegat, NJ

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 Barnegat, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnegat, NJ wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Barnegat, NJ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,034 in Austin, TX and $3,913 in Barnegat, NJ to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,398 in Barnegat, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ – Barnegat, NJ is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 29% less than in Barnegat, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Barnegat, NJ 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.