Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Berkeley Heights, NJ

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Berkeley Heights, NJ: $2,698 and $2,790 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

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

Cost of Living Index in Berkeley Heights, NJ
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Berkeley Heights, NJ Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Berkeley Heights, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Berkeley Heights, 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 Berkeley Heights, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,790 in Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,698
Berkeley Heights, NJ $2,790

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,014 in Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,160
Berkeley Heights, NJ $4,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,238 in Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,622
Berkeley Heights, NJ $5,238

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 3% less than in Berkeley Heights, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Berkeley Heights, NJ 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.98 $18.98

8.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$79.6 $79.6

6.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.92 $12.92

-6.58%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.26 $6.26

-12.46%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.44 $2.44

55.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.48 $1.48

66.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.85 $8.85

-9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.05 $7.05

25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.33 $1.33

-16.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.42 $4.42

-15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$6.12 $6.12

-44.93%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$7.02 $7.02

-38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.79 $13.79

-4.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.43 $10.43

35.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$20.07 $20.07

-18.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$6.18 $6.18

-26.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.49 $3.49

-58.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.39 $4.39

7.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.35 $5.35

-22.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.13 $3.13

-17.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.06 $3.06

-23.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.02 $3.02

-41.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.95 $2.95

-27.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$14.99 $14.99

-32.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.71 $14.71

3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.78 $1.78

58.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.56 $3.56

-3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.80 $1.80

-14.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.96 $2.96

-5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.20 $2.20

-27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$41.18 $41.18

-16.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.15 $1.15

-18.26%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

24.62%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

5.16%

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

$223 $223

$173 $173

28.77%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$50.2 $50.2

17.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$50.7 $50.7

39.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$44.00 $44.00

31.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$20.64 $20.64

-30.91%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,996 $1,996

-24.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$15.7K $15.7K

33.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$50.7 $50.7

1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$41.51 $41.51

6.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$85.0 $85.0

2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$102 $102

2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,833 $1,833

5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,476 $1,476

-10.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,551 $2,551

43.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,259 $2,259

13.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,402 $2,402

206.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,298 $2,298

36.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.8

-0.15%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Berkeley Heights, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$1.5K 52.9% 12.1% $160

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$468 16.8% 15.4% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$274 9.8% 22.2% $78

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$340 12.2% 2.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$126 4.5% 2.5% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$85 3.1% 1.1% $1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Berkeley Heights, NJ

$21 * 0.8% 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 $1,833 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $80.0 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $468, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Berkeley Heights, NJ

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

23:39 11:39 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

13,575

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Berkeley Heights, NJ 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Berkeley Heights, 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 Berkeley Heights, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $4,185 in Berkeley Heights, 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,833 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,996 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. 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 $85.0 versus $80.0 in Berkeley Heights, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.