Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Baton Rouge, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Baton Rouge, LA: $2,240 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Baton Rouge, LA
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Baton Rouge, LA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Baton Rouge, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,240

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Baton Rouge, LA

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 Baton Rouge, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,240 in Baton Rouge, LA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Baton Rouge, LA $2,240

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,302 in Baton Rouge, LA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Baton Rouge, LA $3,302

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,364 in Baton Rouge, LA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Baton Rouge, LA $4,364

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 16% more expensive than in Baton Rouge, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Baton Rouge, LA 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$14.95 $14.95

36.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$84.0 $84.0

0.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.01 $12.01

0.92%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.15 $6.15

-8.13%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.19 $2.19

68.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.36 $1.36

73.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.41 $5.41

45.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.63 $7.63

15.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.29 $1.29

-11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.88 $2.88

28.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.37 $2.37

39.66%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.96 $2.96

40.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.95 $12.95

0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.41 $14.41

-3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$23.32 $23.32

-29.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$7.23 $7.23

-35.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.99 $2.99

-51.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.23 $6.23

-17.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.35 $4.35

3.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.63 $3.63

-15.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.64 $2.64

-9.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.27 $2.27

-20.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.75 $1.75

26.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.20 $9.20

8.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$18.65 $18.65

-19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.85 $1.85

57.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.05 $2.05

62.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.77 $1.77

-31.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$56.1 $56.1

-27.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.98 $3.98

-30.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.26 $1.26

30.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$60.9 $60.9

-41.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.93 $0.93

2.15%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

22.74%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-0.73%

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

$223 $223

$138 $138

61.07%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$44.40 $44.40

31.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$69.6 $69.6

2.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$47.87 $47.87

10.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$10.18 $10.18

64.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.85 $11.85

18.65%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,909 $1,909

-23.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$10.0K $10.0K

112.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$33.18 $33.18

58.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$42.39 $42.39

0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$86.5 $86.5

-0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$72.2 $72.2

43.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,096 $2,096

0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,010 $1,010

21.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,551 $2,551

51.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,510 $1,510

59.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,761 $1,761

321.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,619 $1,619

89.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,366 $3,366

53.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.32

7.91%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baton Rouge, LA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Baton Rouge, LA

$1K 45.1% 17.9% $221

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Baton Rouge, LA

$442 19.7% 7.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Baton Rouge, LA

$252 11.3% 28.4% $100

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Baton Rouge, LA

$286 12.8% 17.9% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Baton Rouge, LA

$105 4.7% 17.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Baton Rouge, LA

$72 3.2% 11.8% $9.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Baton Rouge, LA

$73 3.3% 30.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,096 in Baton Rouge, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $84 in Baton Rouge, LA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $442, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Baton Rouge, LA

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

229,493

💱 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 Baton Rouge, LA 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Baton Rouge, LA

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 Baton Rouge, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baton Rouge, LA wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baton Rouge, LA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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 $2,096 in Baton Rouge, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,909 in Baton Rouge, LA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 28% less than in Baton Rouge, LA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

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