Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Castle Rock, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Castle Rock, CO: $1,253 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Castle Rock, CO
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Castle Rock, CO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Castle Rock, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Castle Rock, CO

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 Castle Rock, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,253 in Castle Rock, CO.

Austin, TX $2,663
Castle Rock, CO $1,253

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,980 in Castle Rock, CO.

Austin, TX $4,133
Castle Rock, CO $1,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,706 in Castle Rock, CO.

Austin, TX $5,603
Castle Rock, CO $2,706

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 112% more expensive than in Castle Rock, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Castle Rock, CO is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$22.63 $22.63

-8.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$64.0 $64.0

32.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.25 $9.25

33.19%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.46 $5.46

3.11%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.49 $2.49

49.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.88 $1.88

32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.79 $6.79

18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.13 $6.13

46.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.99 $0.99

13.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.92 $2.92

28.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.80 $2.80

16.43%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.15 $4.15

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.14 $11.14

15.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.44 $9.44

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.20 $19.20

-15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.84 $4.84

-10.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.74 $3.74

20.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.25 $5.25

-17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.92 $2.92

-11.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.20 $3.20

-26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.31 $1.31

35.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.72 $1.72

29.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.17 $10.17

-2.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.81 $11.81

27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.58 $2.58

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.74 $2.74

26.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.47 $2.47

10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.90 $1.90

-12.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$24.81 $24.81

42.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.79 $0.79

20.25%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.9K $35.9K

0.54%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.2K $25.2K

7.40%

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

$229 $229

$210 $210

8.85%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$39.60 $39.60

49.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$71.3 $71.3

-1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$59.0 $59.0

-2.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.17 $12.17

17.34%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,318 $1,318

14.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$17.6K $17.6K

21.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$54.4 $54.4

-2.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$50.7 $50.7

-13.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$81.5 $81.5

4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$117 $117

-12.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,904 $5,904

-13.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.77

0.30%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Castle Rock, CO: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Castle Rock, CO

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Castle Rock, CO

$362 28.9% 10.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Castle Rock, CO

$321 25.6% 10.3% $37

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Castle Rock, CO

$338 27% 4.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Castle Rock, CO

$137 10.9% 6.8% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Castle Rock, CO

$83 6.7% 2.9% $2.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Castle Rock, CO

$12 * 1% 79.6% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Castle Rock, CO pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $64.0 in Castle Rock, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $362 per month, with Castle Rock, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Castle Rock, CO

🕒 Local time

22:44 10:44 PM

21:44 9:44 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

73,158

💱 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 Castle Rock, CO 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Castle Rock, CO

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 Castle Rock, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castle Rock, CO wins on cost – living expenses run 112% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castle Rock, CO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Castle Rock, CO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,318 in Castle Rock, CO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Castle Rock, CO – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Castle Rock, CO versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Castle Rock, CO but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Castle Rock, CO 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 Castle Rock, CO 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 Castle Rock, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.