Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dallas, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,898 in Dallas, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dallas, TX
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Dallas, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Dallas, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,898 in Dallas, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
Dallas, TX $2,898

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,315 in Dallas, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
Dallas, TX $4,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,733 in Dallas, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
Dallas, TX $5,733

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 10% less than in Dallas, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Dallas, TX 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.61 $20.61

-1.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$91.3 $91.3

-7.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.09 $12.09

0.25%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.31 $6.31

-10.46%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.24 $3.24

13.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.80 $7.80

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.79 $7.79

13.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.02 $1.02

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.21 $3.21

14.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.83 $4.83

-31.47%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.69 $4.69

-11.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.97 $12.97

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.32 $11.32

22.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.41 $18.41

-11.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.97 $5.97

-21.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.54 $1.54

-5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.00 $5.00

2.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.23 $4.23

6.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.28 $2.28

35.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.19 $3.19

-25.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.02 $2.02

-10.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.93 $2.93

-24.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.16 $10.16

-1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.24 $16.24

-7.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.55 $3.55

-18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.59 $4.59

-27.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.94 $2.94

-58.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$126 $126

-67.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.05 $3.05

-8.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.78 $1.78

-7.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.84 $23.84

48.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.02 $1.02

-6.86%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$36.6K $36.6K

-6.54%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$28.0K $28.0K

-4.42%

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

$223 $223

$198 $198

12.63%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$58.7 $58.7

-0.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$65.1 $65.1

9.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$57.3 $57.3

-7.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$20.77 $20.77

-19.35%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.09 $15.09

-6.83%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,028 $2,028

-28.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$24.0K $24.0K

-11.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$64.7 $64.7

-18.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$49.46 $49.46

-13.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$122 $122

-29.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$137 $137

-24.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,817 $1,817

16.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,389 $1,389

-11.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$4,084 $4,084

-5.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,342 $2,342

2.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$8,624 $8,624

-13.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,953 $2,953

3.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,493 $4,493

15.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.86

-0.58%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dallas, 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%

Dallas, TX

$1.4K 48% 12.9% $159

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Dallas, TX

$427 14.8% 4.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Dallas, TX

$322 11.1% 8.8% $31

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Dallas, TX

$354 12.2% 1.6% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Dallas, TX

$168 5.8% 30.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Dallas, TX

$87 3% 7.8% $6.3

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Dallas, TX

$150 5.2% 166% $94

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,817 in Dallas, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 15% 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 $91 in Dallas, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $427 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Dallas, TX

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,302,638

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Dallas, TX 290 km

From you

Austin, TX
Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Dallas, TX. 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 15% 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 $1,817 in Dallas, 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 $2,898 in Dallas, TX – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 68% less than in Dallas, 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. 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.