Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Boston

For one person, living is cheaper in Boston: $2,372 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Boston
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Boston Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Boston

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,372 in Boston.

Austin, TX $2,663
Boston $2,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,454 in Boston.

Austin, TX $4,133
Boston $3,454

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,535 in Boston.

Austin, TX $5,603
Boston $4,535

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 12% more expensive than in Boston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Boston 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$26.64 £19.99

-22.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$77.9 £58.5

8.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.52 £7.89

17.11%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.90 £3.67

14.90%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.46 £1.85

51.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.07 £1.55

20.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.70 £4.28

41.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.52 £4.14

63.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.52 £1.14

-26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.58 £0.44

546.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.64 £1.23

98.78%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.10 £3.08

1.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.39 £7.05

37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.09 £6.07

75.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.71 £12.53

-2.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.27 £2.45

32.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.60 £1.20

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.02 £2.26

49.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.53 £2.65

22.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.20 £0.90

115.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.74 £1.30

35.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.29 £0.97

37.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.25 £0.94

77.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$15.76 £11.82

-37.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.76 £6.57

72.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.30 £2.47

-11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.04 £2.28

13.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.52 £2.64

-57.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$95.1 £71.3

-56.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.14 £3.10

-34.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.89 £2.92

-57.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$32.35 £24.27

9.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.84 £1.38

-48.37%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.5K £28.1K

-3.80%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.5K £30.3K

-33.08%

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

$229 $229

$359 £269

-36.19%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$17.73 £13.30

234.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$43.87 £32.91

59.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.02 £33.78

27.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.92 £7.45

43.95%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,570 £1,177

-4.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$22.5K £16.9K

-4.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$53.3 £40.01

-0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$39.15 £29.37

11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$72.9 £54.7

16.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$59.0 £44.23

74.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,242 £932

53.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,006 £755

26.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,136 £1,602

71.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,672 £1,255

51.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,998 £3,749

52.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,825 £2,870

-17.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,566 £1,175

227.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.21

30.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Boston: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Boston

$1K 42.4% 21% $268

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Boston

$286 12% 29.4% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Boston

$420 17.7% 17.4% $62

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Boston

$361 15.2% 2% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Boston

$101 4.3% 21.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Boston

$65 2.7% 24.4% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Boston

$133 5.6% 126% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,242 in Boston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 227% 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 $78.0 in Boston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $286 per month, with Boston cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Boston

🕒 Local time

02:56 2:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

45,339

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Boston 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Boston

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 Boston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boston wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Boston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 227% 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 $1,242 in Boston. 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 $2,372 in Boston – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Boston runs roughly 128% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,372 in Boston versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boston but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Boston 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 Boston 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 Boston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.