Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chesapeake, VA

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Chesapeake, VA: $2,607 and $2,546 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Chesapeake, VA
Learn more

Chesapeake, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Chesapeake, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Chesapeake, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,546 in Chesapeake, VA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Chesapeake, VA $2,546

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,565 in Chesapeake, VA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Chesapeake, VA $3,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,585 in Chesapeake, VA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Chesapeake, VA $4,585

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Chesapeake, VA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Chesapeake, VA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.28 $20.28

0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$89.6 $89.6

-5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.56 $11.56

4.84%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.91 $5.91

-4.40%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.31 $2.31

59.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.11 $2.11

11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.03 $6.03

30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.60 $6.60

33.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.87 $0.87

31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.62 $3.62

1.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.12 $3.12

6.09%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.26 $3.26

27.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.06 $14.06

-7.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.03 $8.03

72.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.61 $17.61

-7.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.09 $5.09

-7.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.06 $1.06

36.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.36 $4.36

17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.44 $4.44

1.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.86 $2.86

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.82 $2.82

-15.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.51 $1.51

19.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.17 $2.17

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.83 $8.83

12.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.27 $15.27

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.70 $1.70

71.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.77 $2.77

20.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.04 $2.04

-40.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$71.1 $71.1

-43.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.96 $2.96

-6.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.23 $1.23

34.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$17.85 $17.85

98.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.98 $0.98

-3.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.4K $27.4K

24.71%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.52%

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

$223 $223

$187 $187

19.46%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$58.0 $58.0

0.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$67.8 $67.8

5.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.05 $40.05

32.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$9.07 $9.07

55.02%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,324 $1,324

10.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$18.7K $18.7K

14.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$40.10 $40.10

30.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$20.16 $20.16

112.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$76.1 $76.1

13.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$107 $107

-2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,047 $2,047

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,281 $1,281

-3.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,839 $2,839

36.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,717 $1,717

40.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,844 $2,844

161.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,015 $2,015

51.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,368 $4,368

18.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.49

5.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chesapeake, VA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Chesapeake, VA

$1.3K 50.3% 4.1% $51

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Chesapeake, VA

$368 14.5% 10.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Chesapeake, VA

$312 12.3% 11.4% $40

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Chesapeake, VA

$329 12.9% 5.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Chesapeake, VA

$109 4.3% 14.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Chesapeake, VA

$58 2.3% 28.3% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Chesapeake, VA

$88 3.5% 56.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,047 in Chesapeake, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $90 in Chesapeake, VA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $368, with Chesapeake, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Chesapeake, VA

🕒 Local time

04:59 4:59 AM

05:59 5:59 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

249,422

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Chesapeake, VA 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chesapeake, VA

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 Chesapeake, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 19% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,047 in Chesapeake, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,324 in Chesapeake, VA. 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 $90 in Chesapeake, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Chesapeake, VA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Chesapeake, VA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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