Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Columbia, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbia, TN: $2,298 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, TN
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Columbia, TN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Columbia, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,298

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Columbia, TN

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 Columbia, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,298 in Columbia, TN.

Austin, TX $2,607
Columbia, TN $2,298

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,486 in Columbia, TN.

Austin, TX $4,031
Columbia, TN $3,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,674 in Columbia, TN.

Austin, TX $5,454
Columbia, TN $4,674

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Columbia, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Columbia, TN 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$11.93 $11.93

70.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$60.6 $60.6

39.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.14 $10.14

19.53%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$3.89 $3.89

45.24%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.16 $2.16

70.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.56 $1.56

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.33 $6.33

24.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.32 $7.32

20.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.96 $0.96

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.90 $2.90

27.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.02 $4.02

-17.66%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.56 $2.56

62.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.29 $13.29

-2.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$6.52 $6.52

112.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.09 $13.09

24.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.58 $5.58

-15.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.25 $1.25

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.77 $5.77

-11.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.02 $4.02

12.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.16 $3.16

-2.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.17 $4.17

-42.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.53 $2.53

-28.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.13 $2.13

4.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.48 $9.48

5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.11 $13.11

14.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.69 $1.69

72.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.58 $1.58

110.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.99 $1.99

39.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.38 $1.38

19.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$19.99 $19.99

77.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.71 $0.71

33.80%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$28.4K $28.4K

20.37%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.52%

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

$223 $223

$157 $157

41.82%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$61.2 $61.2

-4.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$75.0 $75.0

-5.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$35.45 $35.45

49.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.59 $12.59

11.68%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,678 $1,678

-13.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$24.9K $24.9K

-14.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$40.38 $40.38

29.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$33.60 $33.60

27.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$82.3 $82.3

5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$89.2 $89.2

16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,471 $1,471

43.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,244 $1,244

-1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,573 $2,573

50.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,378 $2,378

1.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.6

3.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Columbia, TN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Columbia, TN

$1.2K 54.1% 1.1% $14

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Columbia, TN

$347 15.1% 15.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Columbia, TN

$293 12.8% 16.8% $59

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Columbia, TN

$234 10.2% 32.9% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Columbia, TN

$110 4.8% 14% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Columbia, TN

$61 2.6% 25.3% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Columbia, TN

$8.9 * 0.4% 84.2% $48

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,471 in Columbia, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $61 in Columbia, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $347 per month, with Columbia, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Columbia, TN

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

672,228

💱 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 Columbia, TN 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Columbia, TN

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 Columbia, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,446 in Columbia, TN 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,471 in Columbia, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,678 in Columbia, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Columbia, TN – a meal for two runs $61 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.