Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Buford, GA

For one person, living is cheaper in Buford, GA: $2,294 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Buford, GA
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Buford, GA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Buford, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Buford, GA

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 Buford, GA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,294 in Buford, GA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Buford, GA $2,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,449 in Buford, GA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Buford, GA $3,449

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,603 in Buford, GA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Buford, GA $4,603

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 14% more expensive than in Buford, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Buford, GA 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$25.20 $25.20

-19.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$59.2 $59.2

43.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$5.90 $5.90

105.42%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.30 $5.30

6.60%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.95 $1.95

88.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.63 $1.63

44.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.14 $5.14

53.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.84 $5.84

51.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.79 $0.79

44.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.53 $3.53

4.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.08 $3.08

7.47%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.00 $4.00

3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$5.55 $5.55

133.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.60 $9.60

44.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$11.54 $11.54

41.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.49 $3.49

34.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.24 $1.24

16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.06 $2.06

148.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.58 $3.58

26.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.11 $3.11

-0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.69 $2.69

-11.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.21 $2.21

-18.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.59 $1.59

39.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.18 $10.18

-2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.97 $10.97

37.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.84 $1.84

58.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.46 $1.46

128.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.71 $3.71

-67.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.76 $0.76

25.00%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$70.7K $70.7K

-51.65%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-0.76%

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

$223 $223

$203 $203

9.93%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$24.95 $24.95

134.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$82.2 $82.2

-13.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$44.33 $44.33

19.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$35.08 $35.08

-52.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.80 $12.80

9.84%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,117 $1,117

30.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$45.53 $45.53

15.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$35.24 $35.24

21.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$76.4 $76.4

13.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$97.1 $97.1

6.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,450 $1,450

45.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,152 $1,152

6.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,390 $2,390

61.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,127 $2,127

13.16%

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

$3,364 $3,364

53.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.22

9.65%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Buford, GA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Buford, GA

$1.2K 50.2% 6.4% $79

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Buford, GA

$299 13% 27.1% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Buford, GA

$310 13.5% 12.1% $43

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Buford, GA

$335 14.6% 3.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Buford, GA

$114 5% 10.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Buford, GA

$70 3.1% 13.8% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Buford, GA

$15 * 0.7% 73.7% $42

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 $1,450 in Buford, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $59 in Buford, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $299 per month, with Buford, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Buford, GA

🕒 Local time

16:20 4:20 PM

17:20 5:20 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

14,868

💱 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 Buford, GA 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Buford, GA

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 Buford, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buford, GA wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Buford, GA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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 $1,450 in Buford, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,117 in Buford, GA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Buford, GA – a meal for two runs $59 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 Buford, GA gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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