Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Butte, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Butte, MT: $1,848 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Butte, MT
Learn more

Butte, MT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Butte, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Butte, MT

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 Butte, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,848 in Butte, MT.

Austin, TX $2,698
Butte, MT $1,848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,812 in Butte, MT.

Austin, TX $4,160
Butte, MT $2,812

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,777 in Butte, MT.

Austin, TX $5,622
Butte, MT $3,777

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 46% more expensive than in Butte, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Butte, MT 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$14.71 $14.71

40.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$60.5 $60.5

39.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.68 $9.68

24.69%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.40 $4.40

24.55%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.08 $2.08

82.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.44 $2.44

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.04 $3.04

164.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.10 $5.10

74.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.12 $1.12

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.42 $2.42

53.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.89 $4.89

-31.08%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.82 $3.82

13.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$6.44 $6.44

103.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$7.34 $7.34

92.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.88 $18.88

-13.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.05 $5.05

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.42 $1.42

2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.75 $1.75

169.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.21 $2.21

87.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.57 $0.57

352.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.21 $2.21

6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.78 $1.78

-0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.46 $1.46

46.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.85 $7.85

28.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$9.37 $9.37

62.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.93 $1.93

46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.30 $2.30

49.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.03 $5.03

-44.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.64 $0.64

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$9.81 $9.81

250.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.04 $1.04

-9.62%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$32.1K $32.1K

5.73%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

9.30%

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

$223 $223

$137 $137

62.70%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$24.92 $24.92

136.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$68.4 $68.4

3.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$10.48 $10.48

36.07%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,974 $1,974

-23.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$14.2K $14.2K

47.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$64.8 $64.8

-20.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.42 $43.42

1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$104 $104

-16.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$148 $148

-29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,009 $1,009

92.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$884 $884

48.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,835 $1,835

99.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,619 $1,619

58.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,237 $2,237

228.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,272 $2,272

37.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,849 $3,849

37.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.25

8.64%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Butte, MT: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Butte, MT

$884 47.9% 32.8% $432

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Butte, MT

$298 16.2% 26.5% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Butte, MT

$230 12.5% 34.6% $122

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Butte, MT

$243 13.2% 30.6% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Butte, MT

$162 8.8% 25.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Butte, MT

$21 * 1.1% 75.7% $65

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Butte, MT

$8.2 * 0.5% 85.8% $50

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 $1,009 in Butte, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 37% 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 $60.0 in Butte, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $298 per month, with Butte, MT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Butte, MT

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

04:19 4:19 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

35,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Butte, MT 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Butte, MT

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 Butte, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butte, MT wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butte, MT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% 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 $1,009 in Butte, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,974 in Butte, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butte, MT – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,848 in Butte, MT versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Butte, MT but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Butte, MT 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.

Expats usually find Butte, MT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.