Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Colorado Springs, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,721 in Colorado Springs, CO, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Colorado Springs, CO
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Colorado Springs, CO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Colorado Springs, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Colorado Springs, CO

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 Colorado Springs, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,721 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Austin, TX $2,607
Colorado Springs, CO $2,721

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,253 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Austin, TX $4,031
Colorado Springs, CO $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,786 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Austin, TX $5,454
Colorado Springs, CO $5,786

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 4% less than in Colorado Springs, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Colorado Springs, CO 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.23 $20.23

0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$85.4 $85.4

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.77 $12.77

-5.09%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.49 $5.49

2.91%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.63 $2.63

39.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.27 $2.27

3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.90 $5.90

33.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.09 $7.09

24.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.96 $0.96

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.30 $3.30

11.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.33 $4.33

-23.56%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.95 $5.95

-30.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.64 $14.64

-11.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.42 $13.42

3.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.57 $19.57

-16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.61 $5.61

-16.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.37 $1.37

5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.38 $4.38

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.77 $4.77

-5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.51 $2.51

22.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.61 $2.61

-8.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.31 $2.31

-22.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.98 $1.98

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.38 $10.38

-3.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$19.36 $19.36

-22.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.32 $3.32

-12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.73 $4.73

-29.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.79 $1.79

-31.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$63.1 $63.1

-35.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.63 $3.63

-23.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.42 $1.42

16.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.70 $24.70

43.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.04 $1.04

-8.65%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$28.3K $28.3K

20.81%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.50%

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

$223 $223

$200 $200

11.65%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$95.6 $95.6

-38.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$103 $103

-30.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$44.11 $44.11

20.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$33.69 $33.69

-50.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.71 $14.71

-4.42%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,558 $1,558

-6.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$24.3K $24.3K

-12.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$58.5 $58.5

-10.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$34.64 $34.64

23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$80.8 $80.8

6.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$101 $101

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,698 $1,698

24.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,274 $1,274

-3.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,874 $2,874

34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,573 $2,573

-6.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,798 $2,798

165.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,283 $2,283

34.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,387 $4,387

18.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.72

1.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Colorado Springs, CO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Colorado Springs, CO

$1.3K 46.8% 3.5% $43

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Colorado Springs, CO

$442 16.2% 7.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Colorado Springs, CO

$398 14.6% 12.9% $45

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Colorado Springs, CO

$329 12.1% 5.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Colorado Springs, CO

$124 4.5% 3.8% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Colorado Springs, CO

$74 2.7% 9.4% $7.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Colorado Springs, CO

$81 3% 43.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,698 in Colorado Springs, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% 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 $85 in Colorado Springs, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $442 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Colorado Springs, CO

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

16:40 4:40 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

478,961

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Colorado Springs, CO 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Colorado Springs, CO

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 Colorado Springs, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Colorado Springs, CO. 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 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 $1,698 in Colorado Springs, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,558 in Colorado Springs, CO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 36% less than in Colorado Springs, CO. 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.

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.