Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bel Air, MD

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Bel Air, MD: $2,698 and $2,655 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Bel Air, MD
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Bel Air, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Bel Air, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Bel Air, 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 Bel Air, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,655 in Bel Air, MD.

Austin, TX $2,698
Bel Air, MD $2,655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,800 in Bel Air, MD.

Austin, TX $4,160
Bel Air, MD $3,800

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,945 in Bel Air, MD.

Austin, TX $5,622
Bel Air, MD $4,945

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 2% more expensive than in Bel Air, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Bel Air, MD 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.74 $15.74

31.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$68.4 $68.4

23.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.19 $10.19

18.45%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.35 $5.35

2.43%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.77 $1.77

114.69%

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

$6.38 $6.38

26.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.48 $6.48

37.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.01 $1.01

9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.45 $3.45

7.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.23 $4.23

-20.33%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.12 $4.12

4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.25 $12.25

7.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.63 $11.63

21.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.12 $17.12

-4.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.13 $5.13

-11.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.58 $1.58

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.21 $4.21

11.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.80 $4.80

-13.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.83 $2.83

-8.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.02 $3.02

-22.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.18 $2.18

-18.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.22 $2.22

-3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.18 $10.18

-0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.22 $15.22

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.98 $1.98

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.32 $3.32

3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.86 $1.86

-17.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$101 $101

-59.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.10 $3.10

-9.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.71 $1.71

-6.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$29.88 $29.88

14.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.06 $1.06

-11.32%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

20.63%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.26%

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

$223 $223

$202 $202

10.28%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$57.4 $57.4

2.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.4 $70.4

0.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$35.99 $35.99

60.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$38.52 $38.52

-57.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.65 $12.65

12.73%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,424 $1,424

6.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.3K $23.3K

-10.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$47.79 $47.79

7.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$41.48 $41.48

6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$94.4 $94.4

-7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$100 $100

4.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,814 $1,814

6.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,339 $1,339

-1.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,585 $2,585

41.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,057 $2,057

24.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,551 $2,551

188.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,446 $2,446

27.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,092 $5,092

3.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bel Air, MD: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Bel Air, MD

$1.3K 50.4% 1.7% $23

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Bel Air, MD

$397 15% 2.2% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Bel Air, MD

$330 12.4% 6.4% $22

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Bel Air, MD

$279 10.5% 20.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Bel Air, MD

$128 4.8% 1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bel Air, MD

$61 2.3% 28.9% $25

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Bel Air, MD

$120 4.5% 108% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,814 in Bel Air, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 4% 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 $68.0 in Bel Air, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $397 per month, with Bel Air, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Bel Air, MD

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,253

💱 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 Bel Air, MD 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bel Air, 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 Bel Air, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Air, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Air, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% 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 $1,814 in Bel Air, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,655 in Bel Air, MD – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bel Air, MD runs roughly 147% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Bel Air, 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.

Expats usually find Bel Air, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.