Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Brownsville, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownsville, TX: $2,055 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Brownsville, TX
Learn more

Brownsville, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Brownsville, TX

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 Brownsville, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,055 in Brownsville, TX.

Austin, TX $2,698
Brownsville, TX $2,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,122 in Brownsville, TX.

Austin, TX $4,160
Brownsville, TX $3,122

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,189 in Brownsville, TX.

Austin, TX $5,622
Brownsville, TX $4,189

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 31% more expensive than in Brownsville, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Brownsville, TX 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.25 $20.25

1.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$76.2 $76.2

11.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.44 $11.44

5.51%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.28 $5.28

3.79%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.63 $2.63

44.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.97 $1.97

25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.09 $6.09

32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.42 $7.42

19.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.90 $0.90

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.13 $2.13

74.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.24 $4.24

-20.52%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.83 $2.83

52.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.96 $8.96

46.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.52 $12.52

13.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.45 $17.45

-6.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.88 $4.88

-6.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.72 $1.72

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.35 $4.35

8.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.64 $4.64

-10.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.78 $2.78

-7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.94 $2.94

-20.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.10 $2.10

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.21 $2.21

-3.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.57 $9.57

5.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.42 $15.42

-1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.02 $2.02

39.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.26 $3.26

5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.09 $2.09

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.42 $3.42

-18.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.71 $1.71

-6.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$31.72 $31.72

8.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.87 $0.87

8.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$31.0K $31.0K

9.55%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$22.2K $22.2K

20.46%

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

$223 $223

$198 $198

12.70%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$75.0 $75.0

-21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$75.8 $75.8

-6.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.17 $42.17

36.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.40 $14.40

-0.97%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,407 $1,407

7.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$20.3K $20.3K

2.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$56.2 $56.2

-8.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$38.65 $38.65

14.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$98.5 $98.5

-11.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$107 $107

-2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$955 $955

103.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$785 $785

67.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,651 $1,651

121.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,392 $1,392

84.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,838 $1,838

300.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,905 $1,905

64.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,198 $3,198

65.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.76

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 Brownsville, TX: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Brownsville, TX

$785 38.2% 40.4% $532

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Brownsville, TX

$372 18.1% 8.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Brownsville, TX

$348 17% 1.1% $3.8

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Brownsville, TX

$323 15.7% 7.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Brownsville, TX

$135 6.6% 4.8% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Brownsville, TX

$71 3.5% 17.7% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Brownsville, TX

$20 * 1% 64.9% $38

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 $955 in Brownsville, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $76 in Brownsville, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $372 per month, with Brownsville, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

186,738

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Brownsville, TX 490 km

From you

Austin, TX
Brownsville, TX

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 Brownsville, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brownsville, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Brownsville, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $955 in Brownsville, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,407 in Brownsville, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brownsville, TX – a meal for two runs $76 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Brownsville, TX gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Brownsville, TX is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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