Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Decatur, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Decatur, AL: $1,929 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Decatur, AL
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Decatur, AL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Decatur, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Decatur, AL

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 Decatur, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,929 in Decatur, AL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Decatur, AL $1,929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $2,715 in Decatur, AL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Decatur, AL $2,715

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $3,500 in Decatur, AL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Decatur, AL $3,500

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 35% more expensive than in Decatur, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Decatur, AL 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$14.73 $14.73

38.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$42.83 $42.83

97.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.02 $12.02

0.83%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.44 $4.44

27.25%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.27 $1.27

189.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.59 $1.59

48.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.10 $5.10

54.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.91 $5.91

49.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.50 $0.50

128.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.10 $3.10

19.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.03 $2.03

63.05%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.60 $2.60

59.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$7.94 $7.94

63.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$5.70 $5.70

143.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$12.26 $12.26

33.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.01 $3.01

55.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.80 $1.80

-19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.70 $2.70

89.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.93 $1.93

134.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.44 $1.44

113.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.61 $1.61

47.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.66 $2.66

-32.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.19 $2.19

1.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.40 $9.40

6.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.04 $13.04

15.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.72 $1.72

69.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.60 $1.60

108.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.98 $1.98

40.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.34 $1.34

23.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$20.31 $20.31

74.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.04 $1.04

-8.65%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.4K $27.4K

24.77%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

-2.94%

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

$223 $223

$189 $189

18.02%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$84.5 $84.5

-30.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$74.2 $74.2

-4.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.86 $14.86

-5.38%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,713 $1,713

-14.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$25.1K $25.1K

-14.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$46.48 $46.48

12.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$33.04 $33.04

29.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$82.2 $82.2

5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$156 $156

-33.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$987 $987

113.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$872 $872

41.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,704 $1,704

126.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,336 $1,336

80.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,659 $1,659

347.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,681 $1,681

82.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.6

3.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Decatur, AL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Decatur, AL

$872 45.2% 29.1% $358

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Decatur, AL

$272 14.1% 33.5% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Decatur, AL

$348 18% 1.4% $5

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Decatur, AL

$256 13.3% 26.5% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Decatur, AL

$143 7.4% 11.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Decatur, AL

$30 * 1.5% 63.4% $51

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Decatur, AL

$8.7 * 0.5% 84.6% $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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $987 in Decatur, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $43 in Decatur, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $272 per month, with Decatur, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Decatur, AL

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

77,047

💱 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 Decatur, AL 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Decatur, AL

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 Decatur, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Decatur, AL wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Decatur, AL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $2,894 in Decatur, AL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $987 in Decatur, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,713 in Decatur, AL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Decatur, AL – a meal for two runs $43 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.