Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chevy Chase, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
174

Cost of Living Index in Chevy Chase, MD
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Chevy Chase, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Chevy Chase, MD

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 Chevy Chase, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD.

Austin, TX $2,663
Chevy Chase, MD $3,535

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,617 in Chevy Chase, MD.

Austin, TX $4,133
Chevy Chase, MD $4,617

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,699 in Chevy Chase, MD.

Austin, TX $5,603
Chevy Chase, MD $5,699

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 25% less than in Chevy Chase, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Chevy Chase, MD 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$23.84 $23.84

-12.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$100 $100

-15.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.88 $10.88

13.24%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.70 $5.70

-1.23%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.99 $2.99

24.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.44 $2.44

2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.90 $7.90

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$9.10 $9.10

-0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.22 $1.22

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.46 $4.46

-15.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$5.46 $5.46

-40.29%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.07 $5.07

-17.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$21.40 $21.40

-39.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$15.53 $15.53

-8.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$23.24 $23.24

-30.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.54 $5.54

-21.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.82 $1.82

-19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.60 $4.60

-1.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.95 $5.95

-27.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.21 $3.21

-19.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.78 $3.78

-37.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.34 $2.34

-23.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.57 $2.57

-13.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.42 $10.42

-5.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$17.09 $17.09

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.86 $2.86

2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.95 $2.95

17.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.17 $2.17

-31.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.07 $4.07

-32.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.27 $1.27

30.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$25.05 $25.05

40.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.00 $1.00

-5.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.3K $34.3K

5.22%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

6.57%

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

$229 $229

$163 $163

40.72%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$51.0 $51.0

16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$62.5 $62.5

11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.93 $37.93

50.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$16.66 $16.66

-14.29%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,586 $1,586

-5.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$20.0K $20.0K

7.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$55.7 $55.7

-5.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$63.1 $63.1

-30.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$101 $101

-15.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$166 $166

-38.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,555 $2,555

-25.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$2,114 $2,114

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,195 $4,195

-12.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,376 $2,376

6.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,777 $2,777

174.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,399 $2,399

31.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chevy Chase, MD: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Chevy Chase, MD

$2.1K 59.8% 65.9% $840

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Chevy Chase, MD

$509 14.4% 25.8% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Chevy Chase, MD

$276 7.8% 22.9% $82

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Chevy Chase, MD

$371 10.5% 4.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Chevy Chase, MD

$174 4.9% 35.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Chevy Chase, MD

$71 2% 16.9% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Chevy Chase, MD

$19 * 0.5% 67.5% $40

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $2,555 in Chevy Chase, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $100 in Chevy Chase, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $509 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Chevy Chase, MD

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Chevy Chase, MD 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chevy Chase, MD

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 Chevy Chase, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Chevy Chase, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $5,302 in Chevy Chase, MD to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $2,555 in Chevy Chase, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,586 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 $85.0 versus $100 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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.

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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Chevy Chase, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.