Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Clearwater, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,966 in Clearwater, FL, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Clearwater, FL
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Clearwater, FL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Clearwater, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Clearwater, FL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,966 in Clearwater, FL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Clearwater, FL $2,966

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,418 in Clearwater, FL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Clearwater, FL $4,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,870 in Clearwater, FL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Clearwater, FL $5,870

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 12% less than in Clearwater, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Clearwater, FL 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.13 $17.13

18.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$68.5 $68.5

23.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.70 $11.70

3.59%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.94 $4.94

14.37%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.27 $2.27

62.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.82 $1.82

29.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.48 $5.48

43.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.07 $8.07

9.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.98 $0.98

16.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.75 $3.75

-1.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.42 $4.42

-25.11%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.03 $4.03

2.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.81 $10.81

20.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.43 $14.43

-3.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.67 $19.67

-16.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.50 $6.50

-27.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.47 $1.47

-1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.07 $6.07

-15.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.16 $6.16

-26.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.66 $4.66

-33.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.88 $3.88

-38.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.58 $2.58

-30.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.69 $2.69

-17.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.10 $9.10

9.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.81 $16.81

-10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.81 $1.81

60.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.63 $4.63

-28.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.94 $2.94

-58.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$80.7 $80.7

-49.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.31 $3.31

-16.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.66 $0.66

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$61.2 $61.2

-42.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.97 $0.97

-2.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.8K $27.8K

23.19%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.69%

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

$223 $223

$249 $249

-10.54%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$55.4 $55.4

5.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$75.7 $75.7

-5.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$37.23 $37.23

42.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$25.09 $25.09

-33.24%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$16.03 $16.03

-12.29%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,252 $1,252

16.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$25.4K $25.4K

-16.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$75.3 $75.3

-30.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$54.4 $54.4

-21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$108 $108

-19.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$140 $140

-26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,973 $1,973

7.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,499 $1,499

-17.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,204 $3,204

20.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,708 $2,708

-11.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,115 $3,115

138.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,528 $2,528

21.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,695 $3,695

40.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.59

3.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Clearwater, FL: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Clearwater, FL

$1.5K 50.5% 21.8% $269

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Clearwater, FL

$457 15.4% 11.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Clearwater, FL

$380 12.8% 7.9% $28

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Clearwater, FL

$291 9.8% 16.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Clearwater, FL

$170 5.7% 32.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Clearwater, FL

$69 2.3% 14.6% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Clearwater, FL

$99 3.3% 75.4% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,973 in Clearwater, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $68 in Clearwater, FL. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $457, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Clearwater, FL

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

21:55 9:55 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

107,742

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Clearwater, FL 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Clearwater, FL

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 Clearwater, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Clearwater, FL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% 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 $1,973 in Clearwater, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,966 in Clearwater, FL – Austin, TX is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 50% less than in Clearwater, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.