Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Belvidere, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Belvidere, IL: $2,359 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Belvidere, IL
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Belvidere, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Belvidere, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Belvidere, IL

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 Belvidere, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,359 in Belvidere, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Belvidere, IL $2,359

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,373 in Belvidere, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Belvidere, IL $3,373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,387 in Belvidere, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Belvidere, IL $4,387

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 14% more expensive than in Belvidere, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Belvidere, IL 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$11.07 $11.07

86.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$47.63 $47.63

77.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.85 $7.85

53.76%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.01 $5.01

9.38%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.23 $1.23

208.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.52 $1.52

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.58 $4.58

75.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.09 $6.09

45.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.69 $0.69

60.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.34 $1.34

177.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.72 $4.72

-28.60%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.48 $2.48

74.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$4.19 $4.19

213.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.66 $10.66

32.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.47 $16.47

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.03 $5.03

-9.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.10 $1.10

32.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.26 $5.26

-10.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.71 $1.71

142.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.53 $1.53

68.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.83 $0.83

183.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.96 $0.96

84.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.03 $2.03

5.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$5.83 $5.83

73.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.14 $11.14

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.16 $2.16

30.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.24 $3.24

6.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.04 $2.04

-24.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.43 $3.43

-18.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.91 $1.91

-16.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$44.63 $44.63

-23.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.84 $0.84

11.90%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$32.9K $32.9K

3.24%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.4K $27.4K

-2.18%

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

$223 $223

$202 $202

9.99%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$44.29 $44.29

32.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.0 $70.0

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.94 $41.94

37.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$8.04 $8.04

77.36%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$696 $696

117.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$21.4K $21.4K

-2.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$49.38 $49.38

3.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$62.1 $62.1

-28.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$120 $120

-27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$88.4 $88.4

18.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,597 $1,597

21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,301 $1,301

1.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,537 $2,537

44.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,187 $2,187

17.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,757 $2,757

166.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,356 $2,356

32.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.63

2.41%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Belvidere, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Belvidere, IL

$1.3K 55.2% 1.2% $16

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Belvidere, IL

$300 12.7% 26.2% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Belvidere, IL

$317 13.4% 10.1% $35

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Belvidere, IL

$218 9.3% 37.6% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Belvidere, IL

$144 6.1% 11.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Belvidere, IL

$58 2.5% 32.7% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Belvidere, IL

$21 * 0.9% 63.5% $37

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,597 in Belvidere, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $48.00 in Belvidere, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $300 per month, with Belvidere, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Belvidere, IL

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

25,585

💱 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 Belvidere, IL 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Belvidere, IL

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 Belvidere, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belvidere, IL 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 Belvidere, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,538 in Belvidere, IL 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,597 in Belvidere, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $696 in Belvidere, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Belvidere, IL – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,359 in Belvidere, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belvidere, IL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Belvidere, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Belvidere, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Belvidere, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.