Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bolingbrook, IL: $2,341 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Bolingbrook, IL
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Bolingbrook, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Bolingbrook, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,341

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,341 in Bolingbrook, IL.

Austin, TX $2,663
Bolingbrook, IL $2,341

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,380 in Bolingbrook, IL.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bolingbrook, IL $3,380

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,420 in Bolingbrook, IL.

Austin, TX $5,603
Bolingbrook, IL $4,420

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Bolingbrook, IL 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.90 $13.90

49.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$62.6 $62.6

35.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.04 $8.04

53.23%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.46 $5.46

3.11%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.18 $2.18

70.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.09 $1.09

129.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.11 $6.11

31.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.06 $5.06

78.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.83 $0.83

34.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.28 $2.28

64.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.85 $2.85

14.39%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.62 $3.62

15.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.61 $7.61

69.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.54 $11.54

22.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.49 $10.49

54.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.53 $5.53

-21.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.72 $1.72

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.43 $3.43

31.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.63 $5.63

-22.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.71 $1.71

50.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.62 $2.62

-10.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.69 $1.69

5.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.49 $2.49

-10.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.94 $11.94

-17.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.09 $8.09

86.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.69 $1.69

72.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.09 $4.09

-15.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.04 $2.04

-26.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.59 $5.59

-51.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.95 $2.95

-43.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$17.76 $17.76

98.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.12 $1.12

-15.18%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$24.4K $24.4K

48.02%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

4.40%

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

$229 $229

$173 $173

32.51%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$51.8 $51.8

14.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$50.9 $50.9

37.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$42.26 $42.26

35.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.29 $11.29

26.48%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,522 $1,522

-1.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.4K $12.4K

72.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$47.24 $47.24

11.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.04 $25.04

75.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$57.7 $57.7

46.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$50.1 $50.1

105.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,770 $1,770

7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,308 $1,308

-2.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,798 $2,798

30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,140 $2,140

18.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,065 $3,065

148.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,354 $2,354

34.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,655 $5,655

-9.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.43

5.60%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bolingbrook, IL: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Bolingbrook, IL

$1.3K 55.9% 2.7% $34

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Bolingbrook, IL

$328 14% 18.8% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Bolingbrook, IL

$276 11.8% 23.1% $83

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Bolingbrook, IL

$255 10.9% 28.1% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Bolingbrook, IL

$81 3.5% 36.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bolingbrook, IL

$65 2.8% 24.4% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Bolingbrook, IL

$29 * 1.2% 51.4% $30

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,770 in Bolingbrook, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bolingbrook, IL pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $63.0 in Bolingbrook, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $328 per month, with Bolingbrook, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Bolingbrook, IL

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

73,922

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bolingbrook, IL 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bolingbrook, 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 Bolingbrook, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Bolingbrook, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,770 in Bolingbrook, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,522 in Bolingbrook, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bolingbrook, IL – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Bolingbrook, IL 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 Bolingbrook, 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.