Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bradley, IL: $2,340 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Bradley, IL
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Bradley, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Bradley, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,340 in Bradley, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Bradley, IL $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,428 in Bradley, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Bradley, IL $3,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,517 in Bradley, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Bradley, IL $4,517

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than in Bradley, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Bradley, IL 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$14.80 $14.80

39.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$62.6 $62.6

35.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.84 $7.84

53.95%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.61 $5.61

-2.32%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.16 $2.16

75.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.13 $1.13

118.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.37 $5.37

49.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.93 $4.93

80.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.98 $0.98

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.38 $2.38

56.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.08 $4.08

-17.40%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.94 $3.94

9.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.33 $12.33

6.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$15.71 $15.71

-9.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.47 $16.47

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.91 $5.91

-23.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.41 $2.41

-39.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.99 $3.99

18.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.32 $5.32

-21.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.24 $3.24

-20.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.73 $2.73

-13.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.02 $2.02

-12.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.99 $1.99

7.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$12.16 $12.16

-16.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.67 $14.67

3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.15 $2.15

31.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.06 $4.06

-15.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.83 $1.83

-15.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.57 $5.57

-49.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.90 $2.90

-44.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$17.19 $17.19

99.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.12 $1.12

-16.07%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

23.26%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.44%

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

$223 $223

$219 $219

1.46%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$51.7 $51.7

13.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$64.9 $64.9

8.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$44.30 $44.30

30.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$9.56 $9.56

49.16%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,228 $1,228

23.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$12.4K $12.4K

68.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$46.39 $46.39

10.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$24.79 $24.79

78.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$58.5 $58.5

48.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$50.2 $50.2

107.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,476 $1,476

31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,161 $1,161

13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,202 $2,202

66.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,977 $1,977

29.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,548 $2,548

188.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,217 $2,217

41.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.82

-0.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bradley, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Bradley, IL

$1.2K 49.6% 11.8% $156

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Bradley, IL

$413 17.6% 1.6% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Bradley, IL

$336 14.4% 4.6% $16

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Bradley, IL

$259 11.1% 26% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Bradley, IL

$81 3.5% 37.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bradley, IL

$63 2.7% 26.4% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Bradley, IL

$27 * 1.2% 52.7% $31

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,476 in Bradley, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $63.0 in Bradley, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $413, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Bradley, IL

🕒 Local time

20:19 8:19 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

15,419

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bradley, IL 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Bradley, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bradley, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,510 in Bradley, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,476 in Bradley, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,228 in Bradley, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bradley, 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.

At $2,340 in Bradley, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bradley, IL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bradley, IL 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.

Expats usually find Bradley, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.