Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cape Carteret, NC

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Cape Carteret, NC: $2,698 and $2,709 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Cape Carteret, NC
Learn more

Cape Carteret, NC Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Cape Carteret, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Cape Carteret, NC

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 Cape Carteret, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,709 in Cape Carteret, NC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Cape Carteret, NC $2,709

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,716 in Cape Carteret, NC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Cape Carteret, NC $3,716

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,722 in Cape Carteret, NC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Cape Carteret, NC $4,722

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Cape Carteret, NC 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.95 $17.95

14.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$89.1 $89.1

-5.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.15 $12.15

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.91 $5.91

-7.28%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.78 $2.78

36.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.06 $2.06

19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.04 $6.04

33.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.95 $6.95

27.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.04 $1.04

6.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.20 $3.20

16.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.30 $5.30

-36.42%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.82 $4.82

-10.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.38 $10.38

26.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.04 $10.04

40.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.65 $18.65

-12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.47 $2.47

84.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.61 $1.61

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.94 $4.94

-4.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.81 $5.81

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.24 $2.24

15.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.43 $4.43

-46.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.78 $1.78

-0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.33 $2.33

-8.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.47 $9.47

6.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.12 $12.12

25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.84 $1.84

53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.12 $2.12

62.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.81 $1.81

-14.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.61 $4.61

-39.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.32 $1.32

21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$20.14 $20.14

70.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.00 $1.00

-6.00%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

22.72%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.92%

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

$223 $223

$211 $211

5.35%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$59.8 $59.8

-1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$67.3 $67.3

4.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$44.20 $44.20

30.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$9.13 $9.13

56.19%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,596 $1,596

-5.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$16.1K $16.1K

29.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$61.0 $61.0

-15.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$47.26 $47.26

-6.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$116 $116

-25.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$111 $111

-5.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,643 $1,643

18.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,446 $1,446

-8.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,879 $2,879

27.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,870 $1,870

37.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,119 $3,119

135.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,615 $2,615

19.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cape Carteret, NC: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Cape Carteret, NC

$1.4K 53.4% 9.8% $129

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Cape Carteret, NC

$379 14% 6.5% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Cape Carteret, NC

$338 12.5% 3.9% $14

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Cape Carteret, NC

$314 11.6% 10.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Cape Carteret, NC

$151 5.6% 16.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Cape Carteret, NC

$62 2.3% 27.6% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Cape Carteret, NC

$18 * 0.7% 68.2% $40

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 $1,643 in Cape Carteret, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $89.0 in Cape Carteret, NC. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $379, with Cape Carteret, NC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Cape Carteret, NC

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

00:49 12:49 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,000

💱 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 Cape Carteret, NC 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cape Carteret, NC

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 Cape Carteret, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $4,064 in Cape Carteret, NC to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,643 in Cape Carteret, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cape Carteret, NC pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $89.0 in Cape Carteret, NC. 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.

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