Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Covington, LA

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Covington, LA: $2,698 and $2,657 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Covington, LA
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Covington, LA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Covington, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Covington, LA

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 Covington, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,657 in Covington, LA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Covington, LA $2,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,774 in Covington, LA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Covington, LA $3,774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,890 in Covington, LA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Covington, LA $4,890

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 2% more expensive than in Covington, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Covington, LA 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.71 $18.71

10.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$55.6 $55.6

52.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.85 $11.85

1.86%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.10 $3.10

76.77%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.79 $1.79

112.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.42 $1.42

73.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.02 $4.02

100.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.23 $5.23

69.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.88 $0.88

26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.47 $3.47

7.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.72 $2.72

23.90%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.25 $3.25

32.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$5.07 $5.07

158.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$7.27 $7.27

94.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.76 $13.76

18.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.13 $4.13

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.80 $0.80

82.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.60 $2.60

81.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.17 $4.17

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.64 $2.64

-2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.69 $2.69

-12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.11 $2.11

-16.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.20 $2.20

-2.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.00 $9.00

12.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.12 $15.12

0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.94 $1.94

45.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.91 $3.91

-12.02%

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

$2.55 $2.55

9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.59 $1.59

0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$25.85 $25.85

32.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.00 $1.00

-6.00%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$36.8K $36.8K

-7.78%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.80%

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

$223 $223

$302 $302

-26.34%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$50.3 $50.3

17.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.7 $70.7

-0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$64.8 $64.8

-10.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$10.33 $10.33

38.04%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$613 $613

146.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$14.0K $14.0K

49.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$46.59 $46.59

10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.91 $39.91

10.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$83.6 $83.6

4.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$96.7 $96.7

7.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,693 $1,693

14.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,440 $1,440

-8.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,233 $3,233

13.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,433 $2,433

5.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$6,853 $6,853

7.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$4,051 $4,051

-22.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,813 $4,813

9.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.54

3.82%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Covington, LA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Covington, LA

$1.4K 54.2% 9.4% $123

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Covington, LA

$313 11.8% 23% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Covington, LA

$423 15.9% 20.2% $71

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Covington, LA

$266 10% 24.1% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Covington, LA

$120 4.5% 7% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Covington, LA

$85 3.2% 0.9% $0.8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Covington, LA

$10 * 0.4% 81.9% $47

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 $1,693 in Covington, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 10% 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 $56.0 in Covington, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $313 per month, with Covington, LA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Covington, LA

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,870

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Covington, LA 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Covington, LA

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 Covington, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Covington, LA wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Covington, LA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% 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 $1,693 in Covington, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $613 in Covington, LA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Covington, LA – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Covington, LA 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.

Expats usually find Covington, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.