Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bowling Green, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Bowling Green, OH: $984 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bowling Green, OH
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Bowling Green, OH Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Bowling Green, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Bowling Green, OH

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 Bowling Green, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $984 in Bowling Green, OH.

Austin, TX $2,689
Bowling Green, OH $984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,001 in Bowling Green, OH.

Austin, TX $4,112
Bowling Green, OH $2,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $3,018 in Bowling Green, OH.

Austin, TX $5,534
Bowling Green, OH $3,018

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 173% more expensive than in Bowling Green, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Bowling Green, OH is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$12.09 $12.09

76.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$45.37 $45.37

93.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.86 $9.86

26.17%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.49 $4.49

24.72%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.22 $2.22

64.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.30 $2.30

3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.01 $4.01

95.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$4.05 $4.05

116.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.58 $0.58

93.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.61 $2.61

38.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.98 $1.98

76.77%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.88 $2.88

54.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$7.57 $7.57

74.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$6.21 $6.21

124.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$22.13 $22.13

-25.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.98 $5.98

-20.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.33 $1.33

12.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.76 $3.76

23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.25 $4.25

6.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.92 $1.92

32.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.75 $1.75

36.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.39 $2.39

-23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.28 $1.28

66.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$11.24 $11.24

-10.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.18 $12.18

22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.01 $2.01

40.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.49 $3.49

-5.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$5.07 $5.07

-47.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.89 $1.89

-13.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$50.2 $50.2

-29.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.92 $0.92

6.52%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$27.2K $27.2K

26.34%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.50%

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

$252 $252

$131 $131

92.44%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$56.7 $56.7

5.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$40.65 $40.65

71.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$34.67 $34.67

74.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$25.22 $25.22

-28.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$12.57 $12.57

9.39%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,392 $1,392

4.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$15.5K $15.5K

71.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$53.2 $53.2

-0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$40.77 $40.77

12.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$107 $107

-19.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$95.5 $95.5

10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$763 $763

187.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$840 $840

186.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,915 $3,915

28.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.24

9.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bowling Green, OH: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Bowling Green, OH

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Bowling Green, OH

$321 32.7% 21.2% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Bowling Green, OH

$228 23.2% 40.2% $153

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Bowling Green, OH

$226 23% 36.4% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Bowling Green, OH

$133 13.6% 2.2% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Bowling Green, OH

$60 6.1% 31.9% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Bowling Green, OH

$15 * 1.5% 74.6% $43

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $763 in Bowling Green, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 29% 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: $88 in Austin, TX vs $45 in Bowling Green, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $321 per month, with Bowling Green, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Bowling Green, OH

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

53,176

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Bowling Green, OH 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bowling Green, OH

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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 Bowling Green, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bowling Green, OH wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bowling Green, OH the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $763 in Bowling Green, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $1,392 in Bowling Green, OH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bowling Green, OH – a meal for two runs $45 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $984 in Bowling Green, OH versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Bowling Green, OH but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bowling Green, OH 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.

It comes down to priorities – Bowling Green, OH wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.