Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Columbus, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbus, IN: $2,080 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, IN
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Columbus, IN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Columbus, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Columbus, IN

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 Columbus, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,080 in Columbus, IN.

Austin, TX $2,698
Columbus, IN $2,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,100 in Columbus, IN.

Austin, TX $4,160
Columbus, IN $3,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,121 in Columbus, IN.

Austin, TX $5,622
Columbus, IN $4,121

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 30% more expensive than in Columbus, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Columbus, IN 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.24 $15.24

35.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$49.85 $49.85

69.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.04 $10.04

20.22%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.89 $4.89

12.07%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.24 $2.24

69.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.67 $1.67

47.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.47 $5.47

47.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.65 $7.65

16.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.93 $0.93

19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.21 $3.21

15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.39 $3.39

-0.59%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.34 $2.34

84.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.61 $12.61

4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.26 $11.26

25.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.28 $9.28

75.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.52 $4.52

0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.32 $1.32

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.40 $4.40

7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.44 $4.44

-6.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.56 $2.56

0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.16 $3.16

-25.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.99 $1.99

-11.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.47 $0.47

355.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.09 $8.09

24.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.07 $2.07

36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.95 $2.95

16.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.67 $3.67

-23.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.25 $1.25

28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.62 $24.62

39.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.87 $0.87

8.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-5.87%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.82%

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

$223 $223

$151 $151

47.26%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$54.4 $54.4

8.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$73.4 $73.4

-3.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$44.12 $44.12

30.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$35.65 $35.65

-53.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.84 $11.84

20.44%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,463 $1,463

3.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$19.6K $19.6K

6.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$45.49 $45.49

12.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.10 $40.10

10.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$86.5 $86.5

0.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$107 $107

-2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,319 $1,319

47.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$997 $997

31.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,845 $1,845

98.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,774 $1,774

44.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,765 $1,765

316.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,715 $1,715

82.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,986 $3,986

32.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.59

3.03%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Columbus, IN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Columbus, IN

$997 48% 24.2% $319

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Columbus, IN

$331 15.9% 18.5% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Columbus, IN

$279 13.4% 20.8% $73

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Columbus, IN

$269 12.9% 23.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Columbus, IN

$126 6% 2.7% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Columbus, IN

$68 3.3% 21.4% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Columbus, IN

$9.9 * 0.5% 82.9% $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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,319 in Columbus, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 33% 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 $50.0 in Columbus, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $331 per month, with Columbus, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Columbus, IN

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

11:16 11:16 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

905,748

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Columbus, IN 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Columbus, IN

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 Columbus, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbus, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Columbus, IN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,319 in Columbus, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,463 in Columbus, IN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Columbus, IN – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,080 in Columbus, IN versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Columbus, IN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Columbus, IN 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.

Expats usually find Columbus, IN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.