Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chester

For one person, living is cheaper in Chester: $2,365 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Chester
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Chester Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Chester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,365 in Chester.

Austin, TX $2,663
Chester $2,365

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,402 in Chester.

Austin, TX $4,133
Chester $3,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,438 in Chester.

Austin, TX $5,603
Chester $4,438

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Chester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Chester 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$19.64 £14.74

5.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$87.2 £65.4

-3.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.43 £7.82

18.12%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.92 £3.69

14.43%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.49 £1.87

49.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.83 £1.37

36.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.48 £4.86

24.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.55 £4.92

37.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.69 £1.27

-33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.79 £1.34

109.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.38 £1.78

36.97%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.98 £2.99

4.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.61 £6.46

49.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.21 £6.16

72.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.77 £10.33

17.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.01 £2.26

43.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.68 £1.26

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.83 £2.12

59.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.90 £2.18

49.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 £1.45

32.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.45 £1.09

62.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.28 £0.96

39.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.55 £1.16

43.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$23.06 £17.30

-57.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.14 £8.36

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.84 £2.13

2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.25 £2.44

6.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.61 £1.96

-42.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$68.6 £51.5

-39.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.33 £4.00

-48.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.38 £1.04

20.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$22.23 £16.68

58.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.06 £1.55

-53.88%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.8K £28.4K

-4.68%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.4K £30.3K

-33.00%

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

$229 $229

$339 £254

-32.37%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$20.84 £15.64

184.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$40.75 £30.58

71.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$48.21 £36.17

18.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.02 £11.27

8.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.28 £9.96

7.53%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,591 £1,194

-5.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$15.7K £11.8K

36.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$87.8 £65.9

-39.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$41.24 £30.94

6.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$99.2 £74.4

-14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$88.7 £66.5

16.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,337 £1,003

42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,051 £789

21.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,972 £1,479

85.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,610 £1,208

57.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,847 £2,886

97.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,289 £2,467

-3.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,987 £2,991

28.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.15

31.84%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chester: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Chester

$1.1K 44.5% 17.5% $223

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Chester

$295 12.5% 27.2% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Chester

$400 16.9% 11.7% $42

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Chester

$310 13.1% 12.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Chester

$143 6% 11.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Chester

$75 3.2% 12.9% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Chester

$91 3.9% 55.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,337 in Chester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 28% 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 $87.0 in Chester. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $295, with Chester cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Chester

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

05:09 5:09 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

119,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Chester 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chester

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 Chester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chester wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chester the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 28% 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 $1,337 in Chester. 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 $2,365 in Chester – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chester runs roughly 64% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,365 in Chester versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chester but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chester 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 Chester 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 Chester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.