Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chapel Hill, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,851 in Chapel Hill, NC, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Chapel Hill, NC
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Chapel Hill, NC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Chapel Hill, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Chapel Hill, 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 Chapel Hill, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,851 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Austin, TX $2,607
Chapel Hill, NC $2,851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,314 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Austin, TX $4,031
Chapel Hill, NC $4,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,777 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Austin, TX $5,454
Chapel Hill, NC $5,777

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 9% less than in Chapel Hill, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Chapel Hill, NC 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.13 $18.13

12.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$91.5 $91.5

-7.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.98 $9.98

21.44%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.61 $4.61

22.56%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.83 $2.83

30.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.02 $2.02

16.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.83 $5.83

34.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.89 $6.89

28.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.18 $1.18

-3.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.58 $4.58

-19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$9.64 $9.64

-65.66%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.46 $5.46

-23.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$18.41 $18.41

-29.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.59 $13.59

1.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$27.26 $27.26

-40.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$7.75 $7.75

-39.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.86 $1.86

-22.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.87 $6.87

-25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.02 $6.02

-24.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.68 $4.68

-34.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.08 $4.08

-41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.72 $2.72

-33.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.98 $1.98

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.89 $8.89

12.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.16 $15.16

-0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.63 $1.63

78.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.90 $3.90

-14.62%

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

$2.04 $2.04

36.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.26 $2.26

-26.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$14.82 $14.82

138.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.00 $1.00

-5.00%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.2K $30.2K

13.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.89%

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

$223 $223

$221 $221

0.70%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$51.5 $51.5

13.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$69.9 $69.9

1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$66.4 $66.4

-20.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.72 $13.72

2.48%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,380 $1,380

5.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$9,932 $9,932

114.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$38.35 $38.35

36.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$31.64 $31.64

35.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$102 $102

-15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$135 $135

-23.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,015 $2,015

4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,436 $1,436

-14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,455 $3,455

11.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,574 $2,574

-6.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,195 $3,195

132.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,512 $2,512

21.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,481 $5,481

-5.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.68

2.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chapel Hill, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Chapel Hill, NC

$1.4K 50.4% 16.7% $206

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Chapel Hill, NC

$534 18.7% 30.2% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Chapel Hill, NC

$343 12% 2.8% $9.8

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Chapel Hill, NC

$293 10.3% 15.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Chapel Hill, NC

$138 4.9% 7.6% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Chapel Hill, NC

$94 3.3% 15.5% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Chapel Hill, NC

$13 * 0.5% 76.4% $43

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 $2,015 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapel Hill, NC pays 6% 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 in Austin, TX vs $91 in Chapel Hill, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $534 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Chapel Hill, NC

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

23:36 11:36 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

61,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Chapel Hill, NC 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chapel Hill, 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 Chapel Hill, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,015 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,380 in Chapel Hill, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $91 in Chapel Hill, 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.

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