Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bethlehem

For one person, living is cheaper in Bethlehem: $1,603 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem
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Bethlehem Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Bethlehem

🇵🇸 Palestine

$1,603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,603 in Bethlehem.

Austin, TX $2,663
Bethlehem $1,603

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,491 in Bethlehem.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bethlehem $2,491

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,378 in Bethlehem.

Austin, TX $5,603
Bethlehem $3,378

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 66% more expensive than in Bethlehem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Bethlehem 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.24 ₪34.98

84.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$49.54 ₪154

70.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$14.10 ₪43.86

-12.62%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.63 ₪14.42

21.60%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.29 ₪4.00

188.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.02 ₪3.16

145.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.04 ₪18.80

33.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.23 ₪25.60

9.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.98 ₪6.17

-43.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.90 ₪2.81

316.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.29 ₪7.14

42.36%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.62 ₪8.15

59.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.46 ₪32.53

23.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.61 ₪29.91

47.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$20.63 ₪64.2

-21.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.84 ₪11.96

12.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.09 ₪6.51

-30.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.65 ₪5.15

173.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.49 ₪7.76

74.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.42 ₪4.43

81.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.65 ₪5.13

42.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.62 ₪5.04

9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.02 ₪3.18

117.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.15 ₪31.58

-2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.37 ₪44.72

4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.33 ₪7.25

25.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.32 ₪7.21

49.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.46 ₪7.64

-39.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$145 ₪453

-71.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.27 ₪10.16

-16.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.24 ₪10.07

-48.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.22 ₪10.02

996.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.38 ₪7.42

-60.08%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$40.3K ₪125.5K

-10.62%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$48.5K ₪150.9K

-44.19%

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

$229 $229

$196 ₪609

16.97%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$39.23 ₪122

51.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$32.64 ₪102

114.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$65.1 ₪203

-12.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$33.04 ₪103

-50.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.97 ₪24.81

79.17%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$99.0 ₪308

1421.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,882 ₪30.7K

117.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$48.66 ₪151

8.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$98.9 ₪308

-55.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$116 ₪360

-26.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$165 ₪512

-37.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$493 ₪1,534

286.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$332 ₪1,032

284.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$878 ₪2,732

317.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$645 ₪2,007

293.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,595 ₪4,962

377.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,155 ₪3,595

173.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,320 ₪4,106

288.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-32.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bethlehem: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Bethlehem

$332 20.7% 74% $942

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Bethlehem

$312 19.5% 22.9% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Bethlehem

$268 16.7% 25.3% $91

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Bethlehem

$244 15.2% 31.1% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Bethlehem

$192 12% 50.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bethlehem

$81 5.1% 5.5% $4.7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Bethlehem

$175 10.9% 198% $116

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $493 in Bethlehem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 288% 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 $50.0 in Bethlehem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $312 per month, with Bethlehem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇸 Bethlehem

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

23:54 11:54 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

29,019

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

ILS to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bethlehem 11,520 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bethlehem

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 Bethlehem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bethlehem wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bethlehem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 288% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $493 in Bethlehem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,603 in Bethlehem – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bethlehem runs roughly 249% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,603 in Bethlehem versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Bethlehem but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bethlehem 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 Bethlehem 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 Bethlehem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.