Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chattanooga, TN

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Chattanooga, TN: $2,698 and $2,611 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Chattanooga, TN
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Chattanooga, TN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Chattanooga, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Chattanooga, TN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,611 in Chattanooga, TN.

Austin, TX $2,698
Chattanooga, TN $2,611

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,850 in Chattanooga, TN.

Austin, TX $4,160
Chattanooga, TN $3,850

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,089 in Chattanooga, TN.

Austin, TX $5,622
Chattanooga, TN $5,089

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in Chattanooga, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Chattanooga, TN 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.63 $19.63

5.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$99.2 $99.2

-14.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.15 $11.15

8.25%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.35 $5.35

2.43%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.34 $2.34

62.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.08 $2.08

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.14 $6.14

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.49 $7.49

18.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.12 $1.12

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.60 $3.60

3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.98 $3.98

-15.33%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.19 $4.19

3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$14.24 $14.24

-7.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$14.91 $14.91

-5.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.45 $13.45

21.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$6.41 $6.41

-29.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.66 $1.66

-12.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.24 $4.24

11.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.26 $4.26

-2.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.76 $2.76

-6.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.60 $3.60

-34.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.69 $2.69

-34.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.72 $2.72

-21.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.27 $9.27

8.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$17.64 $17.64

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.01 $2.01

40.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.25 $3.25

5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.94 $1.94

-20.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$49.71 $49.71

-17.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.14 $5.14

-45.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.92 $1.92

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.07 $30.07

14.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.96 $0.96

-2.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

23.20%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.80%

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

$223 $223

$159 $159

40.16%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$82.9 $82.9

-28.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$75.2 $75.2

-6.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$39.22 $39.22

47.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$3.95 $3.95

318.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.02 $15.02

-5.06%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,086 $1,086

39.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.7K $24.7K

-15.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$41.44 $41.44

23.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$38.80 $38.80

13.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$99.9 $99.9

-12.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$118 $118

-11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,707 $1,707

13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,272 $1,272

3.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,190 $3,190

14.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,984 $1,984

29.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,249 $2,249

226.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,273 $2,273

37.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,984 $3,984

32.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.63

2.41%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chattanooga, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Chattanooga, TN

$1.3K 48.7% 3.4% $45

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Chattanooga, TN

$429 16.4% 5.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Chattanooga, TN

$317 12.1% 10% $35

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Chattanooga, TN

$318 12.2% 9.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Chattanooga, TN

$134 5.2% 4.1% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Chattanooga, TN

$69 2.7% 19.7% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Chattanooga, TN

$72 2.8% 24.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,707 in Chattanooga, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 33% 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 $99.0 in Chattanooga, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $429 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Chattanooga, TN

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

13:00 1:00 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

176,588

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Chattanooga, TN 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chattanooga, TN

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 Chattanooga, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chattanooga, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chattanooga, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,707 in Chattanooga, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,611 in Chattanooga, TN – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chattanooga, TN runs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Chattanooga, TN 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Chattanooga, TN 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 Chattanooga, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.