Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Best

For one person, living is cheaper in Best: $2,217 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Best
Learn more

Best Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Best

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Best

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,217 in Best.

Austin, TX $2,704
Best $2,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,095 in Best.

Austin, TX $4,133
Best $3,095

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,973 in Best.

Austin, TX $5,562
Best $3,973

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 22% more expensive than in Best, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Best 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$22.31 €19.91

-9.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$86.5 €77.2

-1.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$12.25 €10.94

0.82%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.65 €3.26

49.86%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.26 €2.91

17.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.48 €2.21

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.77 €5.15

39.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.90 €4.37

83.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.13 €1.01

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.89 €1.69

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.22 €1.98

46.40%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.12 €2.79

32.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.28 €10.07

15.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$11.49 €10.26

24.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$14.84 €13.24

7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.01 €1.80

117.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.60 €1.43

-9.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.73 €1.54

162.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.95 €4.41

-15.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.17 €1.04

124.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.19 €1.06

98.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.11 €0.99

58.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.71 €0.63

204.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$11.21 €10.01

-12.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$5.55 €4.95

165.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.51 €1.34

84.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.50 €2.23

39.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.48 €2.22

-39.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$70.9 €63.3

-42.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.94 €3.52

-32.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.89 €2.57

-45.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$29.72 €26.52

18.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.35 €2.09

-57.87%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$25.6K €22.9K

39.63%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.0K €30.3K

-20.02%

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

$219 $219

$185 €165

18.47%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$14.56 €12.99

298.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$37.61 €33.56

81.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$40.32 €35.98

43.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$25.33 €22.60

-41.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$13.97 €12.47

1.15%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$1,298 €1,158

16.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,115 €4,564

319.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$51.7 €46.13

-0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$32.89 €29.35

33.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$74.5 €66.5

14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$57.9 €51.7

81.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,544 €1,378

25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,100 €982

15.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,975 €1,763

85.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,352 €1,206

86.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,221 €4,659

45.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,354 €3,886

-26.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$4,077 €3,639

25.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.54

91.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Best: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Best

$1.1K 49.9% 13.5% $172

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Best

$281 12.8% 30.2% $122

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Best

$321 14.6% 7.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Best

$237 10.8% 31.4% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Best

$98 4.4% 24.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Best

$68 3.1% 20.8% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Best

$99 4.5% 74% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,544 in Best. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 25% 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 $86.0 in Best. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $281, with Best cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇱 Best

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

14:34 2:34 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

29,988

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Best 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Best

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 Best: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Best wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Best the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,544 in Best. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,217 in Best – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Best runs roughly 75% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,217 in Best versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Best but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Best the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Best delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,217 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Best hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Best 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 Best gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.