Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Clemson, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Clemson, SC: $1,800 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Clemson, SC
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Clemson, SC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Clemson, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$1,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Clemson, SC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,800 in Clemson, SC.

Austin, TX $2,663
Clemson, SC $1,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,790 in Clemson, SC.

Austin, TX $4,133
Clemson, SC $2,790

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,781 in Clemson, SC.

Austin, TX $5,603
Clemson, SC $3,781

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 48% more expensive than in Clemson, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Clemson, SC 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$14.84 $14.84

39.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$50.8 $50.8

66.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.02 $10.02

22.95%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.72 $4.72

19.28%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.34 $2.34

58.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.68 $1.68

48.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.89 $3.89

106.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.86 $5.86

53.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.86 $0.86

30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.29 $3.29

13.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.84 $3.84

-15.10%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.44 $3.44

21.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.09 $10.09

27.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.82 $8.82

60.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.66 $8.66

87.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.56 $4.56

-5.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.39 $1.39

5.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.00 $4.00

12.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.65 $4.65

-6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.75 $2.75

-6.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.52 $3.52

-33.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.18 $2.18

-18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.73 $2.73

-18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.10 $7.10

39.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.13 $15.13

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.74 $1.74

67.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.96 $3.96

-12.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.92 $2.92

-6.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.41 $2.41

-31.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$39.86 $39.86

-11.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.80 $0.80

18.75%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$30.1K $30.1K

19.94%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

1.41%

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

$229 $229

$255 $255

-10.12%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$49.34 $49.34

20.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$49.90 $49.90

40.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.25 $14.25

0.21%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$638 $638

136.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$15.6K $15.6K

37.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$20.25 $20.25

160.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$14.70 $14.70

198.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$130 $130

-34.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$49.41 $49.41

108.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$844 $844

125.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$708 $708

79.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,598 $1,598

129.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,537 $1,537

65.09%

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

$3,546 $3,546

44.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.84

-0.73%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Clemson, SC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Clemson, SC

$708 39.4% 44.4% $566

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Clemson, SC

$345 19.2% 14.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Clemson, SC

$354 19.7% 1.2% $4.3

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Clemson, SC

$253 14% 28.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Clemson, SC

$96 5.4% 24.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Clemson, SC

$29 * 1.6% 66.8% $57

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Clemson, SC

$15 * 0.8% 74.5% $44

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 $844 in Clemson, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 44% 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 $51.0 in Clemson, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $345 per month, with Clemson, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Clemson, SC

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

11:51 11:51 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

17,681

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Clemson, SC 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Clemson, SC

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 Clemson, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Clemson, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Clemson, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 44% 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 $844 in Clemson, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $638 in Clemson, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Clemson, SC – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,800 in Clemson, SC versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Clemson, SC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Clemson, SC 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 Clemson, SC 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 Clemson, SC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.