Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chelmsford

For one person, living is cheaper in Chelmsford: $2,509 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Chelmsford
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Chelmsford Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Chelmsford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,509 in Chelmsford.

Austin, TX $2,663
Chelmsford $2,509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,892 in Chelmsford.

Austin, TX $4,133
Chelmsford $3,892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,275 in Chelmsford.

Austin, TX $5,603
Chelmsford $5,275

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Chelmsford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Chelmsford 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$26.94 £20.21

-22.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$59.0 £44.23

43.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.14 £6.86

34.79%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.65 £3.49

21.08%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.07 £2.31

21.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.71 £1.28

46.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.19 £5.39

11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.06 £5.30

27.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.67 £1.26

-32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.26 £1.70

65.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.79 £2.09

16.85%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.48 £2.61

19.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.13 £6.10

58.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.38 £6.29

68.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.15 £10.62

14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.26 £1.70

91.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.46 £1.09

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.66 £2.74

23.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.31 £2.48

31.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.80 £1.35

43.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.52 £1.14

54.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.16 £0.87

53.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.81 £1.36

22.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$22.50 £16.88

-56.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.01 £9.01

25.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.88 £2.16

1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.46 £2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.95 £2.96

-62.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$69.1 £51.8

-39.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.77 £3.58

-42.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.69 £1.26

-1.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$26.93 £20.20

31.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.03 £1.52

-53.20%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.8K £28.4K

-4.64%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.2K £30.2K

-32.73%

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

$229 $229

$261 £196

-12.42%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$14.64 £10.98

305.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$34.74 £26.07

101.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$50.6 £37.93

13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.12 £12.84

-16.59%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,881 £1,412

-19.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$13.2K £9,885

62.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$98.9 £74.2

-46.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$43.37 £32.53

1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$95.6 £71.8

-11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$86.0 £64.5

19.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,575 £1,182

21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,197 £898

6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,698 £2,024

35.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,510 £1,883

1.14%

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

$2,933 £2,200

74.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.21

30.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chelmsford: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Chelmsford

$1.2K 47.7% 6% $77

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Chelmsford

$305 12.1% 24.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Chelmsford

$311 12.4% 13.2% $47

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Chelmsford

$368 14.7% 4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Chelmsford

$146 5.8% 13.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Chelmsford

$85 3.4% 1.2% $1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Chelmsford

$98 3.9% 67% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,575 in Chelmsford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 75% 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 $59.0 in Chelmsford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $305 per month, with Chelmsford cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Chelmsford

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

176,194

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Chelmsford 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chelmsford

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 Chelmsford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chelmsford wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chelmsford the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 75% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,575 in Chelmsford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,509 in Chelmsford – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chelmsford runs roughly 66% 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 $3,000. Chelmsford 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 Chelmsford 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 Chelmsford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.