Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Burlington, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington, IA: $1,769 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Burlington, IA $1,769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,675 in Burlington, IA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Burlington, IA $2,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,580 in Burlington, IA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Burlington, IA $3,580

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 52% more expensive than in Burlington, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Burlington, IA 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$11.35 $11.35

81.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$59.1 $59.1

43.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.84 $8.84

36.54%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.74 $4.74

15.61%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.95 $1.95

94.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.02 $2.02

22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.41 $3.41

136.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.58 $4.58

93.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.81 $0.81

37.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.82 $2.82

31.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.34 $4.34

-22.35%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.92 $2.92

47.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.37 $11.37

15.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.93 $11.93

18.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.20 $14.20

15.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.02 $4.02

13.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.98 $1.98

-26.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.61 $4.61

2.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.65 $4.65

-10.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.74 $2.74

-5.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.60 $2.60

-9.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.54 $1.54

14.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.06 $2.06

3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.16 $8.16

23.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$16.29 $16.29

-6.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.89 $1.89

49.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.27 $2.27

51.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.94 $1.94

-20.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$15.76 $15.76

160.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.67 $4.67

-40.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.02 $1.02

56.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$22.19 $22.19

54.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$22.7K $22.7K

49.50%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.0K $25.0K

7.14%

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

$223 $223

$184 $184

20.94%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$47.16 $47.16

24.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$59.2 $59.2

19.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.42 $42.42

36.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.92 $11.92

19.63%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,210 $1,210

24.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$13.3K $13.3K

56.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$44.72 $44.72

14.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$30.53 $30.53

44.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$37.90 $37.90

175.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$754 $754

157.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$707 $707

86.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,172 $1,172

212.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,280 $1,280

100.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,026 $1,026

616.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,033 $1,033

202.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,446 $4,446

18.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.54

3.82%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Burlington, IA

$707 40% 46.3% $609

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7% 9.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4% 17.5% $62

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2% 38.2% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1% 30.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7% 23.2% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9% 42.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $59.0 in Burlington, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $366 per month, with Burlington, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

44,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Burlington, IA 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burlington, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Burlington, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Burlington, IA runs roughly 160% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,769 in Burlington, IA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burlington, IA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Burlington, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Burlington, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Burlington, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.