Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Brookings, SD

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Brookings, SD: $2,689 and $2,639 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
Learn more

Brookings, SD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Brookings, SD

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,639 in Brookings, SD.

Austin, TX $2,689
Brookings, SD $2,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,597 in Brookings, SD.

Austin, TX $4,112
Brookings, SD $3,597

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $4,556 in Brookings, SD.

Austin, TX $5,534
Brookings, SD $4,556

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Brookings, SD; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Brookings, SD 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$17.36 $17.36

22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$39.21 $39.21

124.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.52 $11.52

7.99%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.52 $4.52

23.89%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.46 $2.46

48.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.01 $2.01

18.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.85 $5.85

33.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$6.81 $6.81

28.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.89 $0.89

25.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.68 $3.68

-1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$6.44 $6.44

-45.65%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.52 $3.52

26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$10.38 $10.38

26.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$13.66 $13.66

2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$12.99 $12.99

26.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.72 $5.72

-17.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.81 $1.81

-17.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$6.61 $6.61

-29.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.07 $5.07

-10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.46 $4.46

-42.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$4.27 $4.27

-44.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.28 $2.28

-19.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.03 $2.03

4.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$12.84 $12.84

-21.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.05 $12.05

23.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.89 $2.89

-2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$5.81 $5.81

-43.37%

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

$4.90 $4.90

-45.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.67 $1.67

-2.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$23.75 $23.75

48.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.04 $1.04

-5.77%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$29.6K $29.6K

16.29%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.55%

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

$252 $252

$184 $184

36.78%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$57.3 $57.3

4.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$69.4 $69.4

0.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$12.03 $12.03

14.30%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,316 $1,316

10.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$36.7K $36.7K

-27.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$42.51 $42.51

23.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$34.79 $34.79

31.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$88.7 $88.7

-3.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$105 $105

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,715 $1,715

27.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,459 $1,459

-13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,051 $2,051

95.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,107 $2,107

14.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,339 $2,339

215.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,374 $2,374

24.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

5.5

24.00%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Brookings, SD

$1.5K 55.3% 15% $191

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Brookings, SD

$421 16% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Brookings, SD

$311 11.8% 18.5% $71

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Brookings, SD

$288 10.9% 19% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Brookings, SD

$122 4.6% 6.6% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9% 72.6% $64

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5% 76.8% $44

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 $1,715 in Brookings, SD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $39 in Brookings, SD. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $421, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

18,802

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Brookings, SD 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $4,034 in Austin, TX and $3,958 in Brookings, SD 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,715 in Brookings, SD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Austin, TX pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Brookings, SD – a meal for two runs $39 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Brookings, SD 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.