Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Buffalo, NY

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Buffalo, NY: $2,607 and $2,635 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Buffalo, NY
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Buffalo, NY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Buffalo, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Buffalo, NY

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 Buffalo, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,635 in Buffalo, NY.

Austin, TX $2,607
Buffalo, NY $2,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,766 in Buffalo, NY.

Austin, TX $4,031
Buffalo, NY $3,766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,897 in Buffalo, NY.

Austin, TX $5,454
Buffalo, NY $4,897

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Buffalo, NY 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$22.54 $22.54

-9.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$95.7 $95.7

-11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.14 $12.14

-0.16%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.02 $6.02

-6.15%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.69 $2.69

36.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.21 $2.21

6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.59 $5.59

40.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.03 $7.03

25.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.95 $0.95

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.77 $3.77

-2.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.55 $5.55

-40.36%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.43 $4.43

-6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.28 $13.28

-2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.68 $9.68

43.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.92 $15.92

2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.89 $4.89

-4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.49 $1.49

-2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.59 $4.59

11.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.00 $5.00

-9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.69 $2.69

14.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.95 $2.95

-19.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.33 $2.33

-22.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.37 $2.37

-6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$15.08 $15.08

-33.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$18.04 $18.04

-16.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.10 $2.10

38.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.94 $3.94

-15.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.96 $1.96

-37.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$74.5 $74.5

-45.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.41 $5.41

-48.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.28 $2.28

-27.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$44.81 $44.81

-21.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 $1.11

-14.41%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$33.4K $33.4K

2.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.51%

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

$223 $223

$327 $327

-31.71%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$52.6 $52.6

11.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$67.9 $67.9

4.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$32.18 $32.18

64.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$58.0 $58.0

-71.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.82 $12.82

9.67%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,293 $1,293

12.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$32.3K $32.3K

-33.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$52.3 $52.3

0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$44.10 $44.10

-3.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$116 $116

-25.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 $114

-9.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,664 $1,664

26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,127 $1,127

9.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,712 $2,712

42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,584 $1,584

51.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,153 $3,153

135.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,707 $1,707

79.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,624 $3,624

42.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.52

4.60%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Buffalo, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Buffalo, NY

$1.1K 42.8% 8.4% $103

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Buffalo, NY

$406 15.4% 0.9% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Buffalo, NY

$447 17% 26.8% $94

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Buffalo, NY

$351 13.3% 0.7% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Buffalo, NY

$147 5.6% 14.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Buffalo, NY

$58 2.2% 28.8% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Buffalo, NY

$99 3.8% 75.6% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,664 in Buffalo, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $96 in Buffalo, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $406, with Buffalo, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Buffalo, NY

🕒 Local time

14:58 2:58 PM

15:58 3:58 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

258,071

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Buffalo, NY 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Buffalo, NY

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 Buffalo, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 43% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,664 in Buffalo, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 46% less than in Buffalo, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $96 in Buffalo, NY. 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 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.