Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bozeman, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,151 in Bozeman, MT, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bozeman, MT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Bozeman, MT
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Bozeman, MT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Bozeman, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,151

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Bozeman, MT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,151 in Bozeman, MT.

Austin, TX $2,663
Bozeman, MT $3,151

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,553 in Bozeman, MT.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bozeman, MT $4,553

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,956 in Bozeman, MT.

Austin, TX $5,603
Bozeman, MT $5,956

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 15% less than in Bozeman, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Bozeman, MT 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.14 $17.14

21.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$74.6 $74.6

13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$15.17 $15.17

-18.79%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.28 $4.28

31.54%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.18 $3.18

16.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.60 $2.60

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.90 $6.90

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.85 $6.85

31.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.00 $1.00

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.36 $3.36

11.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$7.35 $7.35

-55.65%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$6.23 $6.23

-33.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$24.87 $24.87

-48.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.99 $9.99

41.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.18 $19.18

-15.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.40 $4.40

-1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.42 $1.42

2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.12 $4.12

9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.80 $3.80

14.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.97 $1.97

30.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.24 $2.24

4.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.35 $2.35

-24.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.19 $2.19

1.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.26 $9.26

6.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.18 $15.18

-0.66%

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

$4.36 $4.36

-20.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.57 $2.57

6.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.35 $1.35

22.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$59.1 $59.1

-40.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.92 $0.92

3.26%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$31.6K $31.6K

13.99%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

6.40%

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

$229 $229

$174 $174

31.83%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$51.0 $51.0

16.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$69.2 $69.2

0.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$68.5 $68.5

-16.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$26.07 $26.07

-37.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.40 $13.40

6.57%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,203 $1,203

25.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$19.4K $19.4K

10.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$55.7 $55.7

-5.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$32.56 $32.56

34.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$99.5 $99.5

-14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$50.5 $50.5

104.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,550 $2,550

-25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,900 $1,900

-32.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,103 $4,103

-10.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$3,153 $3,153

-19.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$6,140 $6,140

23.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,891 $5,891

-46.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,379 $4,379

16.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.72

1.04%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bozeman, MT: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Bozeman, MT

$1.9K 60.3% 49.1% $626

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Bozeman, MT

$440 14% 8.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Bozeman, MT

$294 9.3% 18% $64

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Bozeman, MT

$305 9.7% 13.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Bozeman, MT

$107 3.4% 16.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bozeman, MT

$95 3% 11.1% $9.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Bozeman, MT

$9.3 * 0.3% 84.1% $49

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 $2,550 in Bozeman, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 17% 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 $75.0 in Bozeman, MT. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $440, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Bozeman, MT

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

11:48 11:48 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

53,293

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Bozeman, MT 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bozeman, MT

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 Bozeman, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Bozeman, MT. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 17% 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 $2,550 in Bozeman, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,203 in Bozeman, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $75.0 in Bozeman, MT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Bozeman, MT 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Bozeman, MT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.