Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dayton, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Dayton, OH: $2,217 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Dayton, OH
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Dayton, OH Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Dayton, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Dayton, OH

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 Dayton, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,217 in Dayton, OH.

Austin, TX $2,607
Dayton, OH $2,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,254 in Dayton, OH.

Austin, TX $4,031
Dayton, OH $3,254

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,290 in Dayton, OH.

Austin, TX $5,454
Dayton, OH $4,290

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 18% more expensive than in Dayton, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Dayton, OH 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$14.49 $14.49

40.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$69.1 $69.1

22.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.04 $10.04

20.72%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.07 $4.07

38.82%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.25 $2.25

63.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.92 $1.92

22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.63 $4.63

69.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.16 $6.16

43.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.75 $0.75

52.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.77 $2.77

33.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.79 $3.79

-12.66%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.60 $3.60

15.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.66 $13.66

-4.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$24.36 $24.36

-43.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.19 $17.19

-4.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.80 $5.80

-19.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.86 $1.86

-22.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$7.05 $7.05

-27.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.41 $5.41

-16.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.70 $2.70

14.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.06 $3.06

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.29 $2.29

-21.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.79 $2.79

-20.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.23 $10.23

-2.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$19.64 $19.64

-23.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.77 $1.77

64.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.40 $3.40

-2.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.33 $3.33

-63.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$61.0 $61.0

-33.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.03 $5.03

-44.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.81 $1.81

-8.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$49.33 $49.33

-28.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 $1.06

-10.38%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.8K $27.8K

22.82%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.61%

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

$223 $223

$204 $204

9.07%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$50.1 $50.1

16.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$57.9 $57.9

22.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$32.76 $32.76

61.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$44.68 $44.68

-62.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.17 $14.17

-0.78%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$529 $529

175.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$6,549 $6,549

225.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$40.34 $40.34

30.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$46.86 $46.86

-8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$71.2 $71.2

21.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$123 $123

-15.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,291 $1,291

63.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$895 $895

37.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,808 $1,808

113.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,339 $1,339

79.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,215 $2,215

235.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,313 $1,313

133.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,407 $3,407

52.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.74

1.19%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dayton, OH: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Dayton, OH

$895 40.4% 27.2% $335

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Dayton, OH

$486 21.9% 18.7% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Dayton, OH

$312 14.1% 11.4% $40

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Dayton, OH

$247 11.1% 29.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Dayton, OH

$127 5.7% 1.5% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Dayton, OH

$61 2.8% 24.7% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Dayton, OH

$88 4% 56.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,291 in Dayton, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 52% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $69 in Dayton, OH. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $486, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Dayton, OH

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

156,771

💱 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 Dayton, OH 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dayton, OH

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 Dayton, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dayton, OH wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Dayton, OH the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% 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 $1,291 in Dayton, OH. 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 $2,217 in Dayton, OH – Dayton, OH is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 34% less than in Dayton, OH. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Dayton, OH 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.

It comes down to priorities – Dayton, OH wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.