Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bridgewater, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,677 in Bridgewater, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
176

Cost of Living Index in Bridgewater, NJ
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Bridgewater, NJ Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Bridgewater, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Bridgewater, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,677 in Bridgewater, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,607
Bridgewater, NJ $3,677

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $5,197 in Bridgewater, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,031
Bridgewater, NJ $5,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,717 in Bridgewater, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,454
Bridgewater, NJ $6,717

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 29% less than in Bridgewater, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Bridgewater, NJ 170% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.71 $18.71

8.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$78.7 $78.7

7.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.82 $12.82

-5.46%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.27 $5.27

7.21%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.57 $2.57

43.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.52 $1.52

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.83 $5.83

34.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.84 $7.84

12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.32 $1.32

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.44 $4.44

-16.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.10 $3.10

6.77%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.17 $5.17

-19.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.14 $10.14

28.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.41 $10.41

33.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.32 $17.32

-5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.16 $6.16

-23.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.48 $1.48

-2.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.23 $4.23

20.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.37 $3.37

34.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.03 $3.03

1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.72 $2.72

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.95 $1.95

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.09 $3.09

-28.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$14.79 $14.79

-32.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.17 $12.17

23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.80 $1.80

61.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.69 $3.69

-9.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$120 $120

-66.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.05 $3.05

-8.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.12 $2.12

-22.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$42.36 $42.36

-16.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.01 $1.01

-5.94%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$24.0K $24.0K

42.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.25%

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

$223 $223

$174 $174

27.98%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$49.85 $49.85

17.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$49.30 $49.30

44.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$102 $102

-47.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$49.11 $49.11

-65.89%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$17.80 $17.80

-21.01%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,031 $2,031

-28.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$16.3K $16.3K

30.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.45 $49.45

6.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$62.2 $62.2

-31.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$86.3 $86.3

0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$110 $110

-5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,308 $2,308

-8.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$2,282 $2,282

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,808 $3,808

1.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,551 $3,551

-32.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$6,504 $6,504

-20.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.7

1.79%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bridgewater, NJ: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Bridgewater, NJ

$2.3K 62.1% 85.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Bridgewater, NJ

$399 10.8% 2.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Bridgewater, NJ

$273 7.4% 22.5% $79

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Bridgewater, NJ

$313 8.5% 10.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Bridgewater, NJ

$139 3.8% 8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Bridgewater, NJ

$137 3.7% 69.2% $56

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Bridgewater, NJ

$134 * 3.6% 137% $77

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,308 in Bridgewater, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgewater, NJ pays 26% 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 in Austin, TX vs $79 in Bridgewater, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $399 per month, with Bridgewater, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Bridgewater, NJ

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

00:03 12:03 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

28,633

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Bridgewater, NJ 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bridgewater, NJ

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 Bridgewater, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Bridgewater, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,308 in Bridgewater, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,677 in Bridgewater, NJ – Austin, TX is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 66% less than in Bridgewater, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 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 – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Bridgewater, NJ on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.