Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dearborn, MI

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Dearborn, MI: $2,689 and $2,623 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Dearborn, MI
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Dearborn, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Dearborn, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Dearborn, MI

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 Dearborn, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,623 in Dearborn, MI.

Austin, TX $2,689
Dearborn, MI $2,623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,775 in Dearborn, MI.

Austin, TX $4,112
Dearborn, MI $3,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $4,927 in Dearborn, MI.

Austin, TX $5,534
Dearborn, MI $4,927

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Dearborn, MI; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Dearborn, MI 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$18.09 $18.09

17.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$63.4 $63.4

38.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.10 $11.10

12.07%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.55 $5.55

0.90%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.58 $2.58

41.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.96 $1.96

21.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$6.06 $6.06

29.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$8.17 $8.17

7.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.88 $0.88

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.37 $3.37

7.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.15 $4.15

-15.66%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.81 $3.81

16.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$13.74 $13.74

-4.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$11.12 $11.12

25.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$16.27 $16.27

1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.09 $5.09

-7.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.61 $1.61

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.11 $4.11

12.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.77 $3.77

19.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.56 $2.56

-0.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.98 $2.98

-19.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.29 $2.29

-19.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.24 $2.24

-4.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$10.17 $10.17

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.24 $15.24

-2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.46 $2.46

14.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.48 $3.48

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.94 $1.94

-36.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$63.3 $63.3

-34.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.74 $2.74

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.37 $1.37

18.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$23.76 $23.76

48.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.09 $1.09

-10.09%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$33.6K $33.6K

2.19%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.60%

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

$252 $252

$215 $215

17.14%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$60.4 $60.4

-0.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$68.4 $68.4

1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$39.36 $39.36

53.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$12.60 $12.60

9.13%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,235 $1,235

18.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$31.7K $31.7K

-16.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$60.2 $60.2

-12.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$41.19 $41.19

11.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$95.5 $95.5

-10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$119 $119

-11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,568 $1,568

39.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,292 $1,292

-1.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,612 $2,612

53.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,085 $2,085

15.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$1,897 $1,897

289.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,925 $1,925

53.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,749 $3,749

34.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.49

5.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dearborn, MI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Dearborn, MI

$1.3K 49.3% 1.9% $24

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Dearborn, MI

$390 14.9% 4.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Dearborn, MI

$344 13.1% 9.9% $38

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Dearborn, MI

$309 11.8% 13.1% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Dearborn, MI

$142 5.4% 9.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Dearborn, MI

$65 2.5% 26.5% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Dearborn, MI

$81 3.1% 41.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,568 in Dearborn, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $63 in Dearborn, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $390 per month, with Dearborn, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Dearborn, MI

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

22:38 10:38 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

92,382

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Dearborn, MI 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dearborn, MI

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 Dearborn, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 35% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,568 in Dearborn, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $1,235 in Dearborn, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dearborn, MI – a meal for two runs $63 versus $88 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. Dearborn, MI 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 – Dearborn, MI wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.