Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cape Girardeau, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Girardeau, MO: $2,120 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Cape Girardeau, MO
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Cape Girardeau, MO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Cape Girardeau, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Cape Girardeau, MO

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 Girardeau, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,120 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Austin, TX $2,607
Cape Girardeau, MO $2,120

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,261 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Austin, TX $4,031
Cape Girardeau, MO $3,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,401 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Austin, TX $5,454
Cape Girardeau, MO $4,401

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 23% more expensive than in Cape Girardeau, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Cape Girardeau, MO 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.74 $17.74

14.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$56.5 $56.5

49.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$6.79 $6.79

78.50%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.11 $6.11

-7.53%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.62 $2.62

40.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.80 $1.80

31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.01 $3.01

161.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.40 $7.40

19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.98 $0.98

16.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.22 $2.22

66.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$7.34 $7.34

-54.90%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.92 $2.92

42.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.15 $15.15

-14.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$18.68 $18.68

-25.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$24.75 $24.75

-33.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.26 $3.26

43.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.95 $1.95

-25.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$11.47 $11.47

-55.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$8.96 $8.96

-49.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.16 $2.16

42.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$6.20 $6.20

-61.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.91 $2.91

-38.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.57 $2.57

-13.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$7.68 $7.68

29.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.22 $12.22

23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.76 $1.76

65.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$7.93 $7.93

-58.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

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

$0.86 $0.86

10.47%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

22.38%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.0K $25.0K

7.17%

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

$223 $223

$196 $196

13.50%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$42.68 $42.68

37.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$82.4 $82.4

-13.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$20.14 $20.14

163.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.82 $14.82

-5.13%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$826 $826

76.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$44.41 $44.41

18.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$40.67 $40.67

5.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$86.2 $86.2

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$39.27 $39.27

164.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$798 $798

164.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$856 $856

43.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,578 $1,578

144.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,666 $1,666

44.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,505 $1,505

393.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,520 $1,520

101.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$2,411 $2,411

114.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.45

5.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cape Girardeau, MO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$856 40.4% 30.5% $375

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$515 24.3% 25.8% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$322 15.2% 8.8% $31

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$283 13.4% 18.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$95 4.5% 26.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$50 2.4% 38.7% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Cape Girardeau, MO

- * 0% 100%

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 $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $56 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $515, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau, MO

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

37,941

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cape Girardeau, MO 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cape Girardeau, MO

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 Girardeau, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Girardeau, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cape Girardeau, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 2.1 times higher, 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 $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $826 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cape Girardeau, MO – a meal for two runs $56 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,120 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cape Girardeau, MO but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cape Girardeau, MO 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.

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