Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and College Station, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in College Station, TX: $2,165 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
104

Cost of Living Index in College Station, TX
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College Station, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

College Station, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,165

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in College Station, TX

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 College Station, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,165 in College Station, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
College Station, TX $2,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,186 in College Station, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
College Station, TX $3,186

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,206 in College Station, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
College Station, TX $4,206

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 20% more expensive than in College Station, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, College Station, TX 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$14.78 $14.78

37.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$78.5 $78.5

7.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.92 $11.92

1.68%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.61 $5.61

0.71%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.81 $2.81

30.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.80 $1.80

31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.88 $4.88

61.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.72 $7.72

14.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.82 $0.82

39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.31 $3.31

11.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.80 $3.80

-12.89%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.90 $2.90

43.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.18 $12.18

6.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.34 $9.34

48.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.01 $13.01

25.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.32 $6.32

-25.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.56 $1.56

-7.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.46 $6.46

-20.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.78 $4.78

-5.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.99 $3.99

-22.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.97 $2.97

-19.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.83 $1.83

-1.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.86 $1.86

19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.96 $9.96

0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.17 $14.17

6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.77 $1.77

64.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.90 $3.90

-14.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.03 $1.03

18.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$45.74 $45.74

-11.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$9.98 $9.98

-72.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.82 $1.82

-9.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$58.9 $58.9

-39.90%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

28.22%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.04%

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

$223 $223

$179 $179

24.85%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$39.26 $39.26

48.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$55.7 $55.7

27.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$24.49 $24.49

116.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$17.46 $17.46

-4.07%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$10.97 $10.97

28.17%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$740 $740

97.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$17.9K $17.9K

19.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$59.9 $59.9

-12.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$38.65 $38.65

10.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$84.9 $84.9

1.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,267 $1,267

66.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$986 $986

24.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,848 $1,848

109.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,531 $1,531

57.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,392 $2,392

210.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,994 $1,994

53.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,377 $4,377

18.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.57

3.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for College Station, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

College Station, TX

$986 45.6% 19.9% $244

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

College Station, TX

$374 17.3% 8.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

College Station, TX

$274 12.6% 22.4% $79

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

College Station, TX

$280 12.9% 19.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

College Station, TX

$137 6.3% 6.8% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

College Station, TX

$46 2.1% 42.8% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

College Station, TX

$69 3.2% 22.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,267 in College Station, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% 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 in Austin, TX vs $79 in College Station, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $374 per month, with College Station, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 College Station, TX

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

120,511

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX College Station, TX 140 km

From you

Austin, TX
College Station, TX

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 College Station, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

College Station, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making College Station, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% 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 $1,267 in College Station, TX. 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 $2,165 in College Station, TX – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 11% less than in College Station, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. College Station, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, College Station, TX 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 – College Station, TX wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.