Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Carolina

For one person, living is cheaper in Carolina: $2,268 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

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

Cost of Living Index in Carolina
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Carolina Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Carolina

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Carolina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,268 in Carolina.

Austin, TX $2,704
Carolina $2,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,156 in Carolina.

Austin, TX $4,133
Carolina $3,156

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,043 in Carolina.

Austin, TX $5,562
Carolina $4,043

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 19% more expensive than in Carolina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Carolina 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$13.57 $13.57

49.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$54.2 $54.2

56.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.15 $10.15

21.67%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.20 $3.20

70.94%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.92 $2.92

30.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.70 $1.70

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.07 $3.07

162.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.98 $4.98

80.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.11 $2.11

-46.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.34 $3.34

13.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.69 $1.69

92.31%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.62 $4.62

-10.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$6.95 $6.95

88.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$8.41 $8.41

70.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$12.79 $12.79

24.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.13 $3.13

39.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.50 $2.50

-42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.57 $2.57

76.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.78 $3.78

10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.02 $3.02

-12.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.29 $3.29

-28.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.00 $2.00

-12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.99 $1.99

8.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$9.93 $9.93

-1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$17.81 $17.81

-17.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.02 $3.02

-7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.88 $4.88

-28.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.09 $3.09

-51.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$40.08 $40.08

1.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$50.5 $50.5

-30.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.18 $1.18

-16.10%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$40.3K $40.3K

-11.09%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$30.2K $30.2K

-10.07%

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

$219 $219

$594 $594

-63.11%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$50.1 $50.1

15.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$81.5 $81.5

-16.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$10.74 $10.74

439.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$30.31 $30.31

-51.11%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$8.07 $8.07

75.09%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$492 $492

206.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,564 $9,564

124.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$89.7 $89.7

-42.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$25.25 $25.25

74.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$91.6 $91.6

-7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$88.9 $88.9

18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,068 $1,068

80.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$740 $740

71.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,925 $1,925

90.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,227 $1,227

105.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,537 $3,537

115.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,292 $2,292

39.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,974 $1,974

158.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.23

8.99%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Carolina: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Carolina

$740 32.9% 41.8% $532

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Carolina

$349 15.5% 13.4% $54

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Carolina

$221 9.8% 36.4% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Carolina

$726 32.3% 110% $380

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Carolina

$133 5.9% 3.2% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Carolina

$27 1.2% 68.8% $59

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Carolina

$52 * 2.3% 8% $4.6

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,068 in Carolina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 159% 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 $54.0 in Carolina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $349 per month, with Carolina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇷 Carolina

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

138,304

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Carolina 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Carolina

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 Carolina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carolina 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 Carolina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 159% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,068 in Carolina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,268 in Carolina – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Carolina runs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,268 in Carolina versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carolina but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Carolina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Carolina delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,268 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Carolina hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Carolina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.