Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Denver

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Denver: $2,663 and $2,666 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Denver
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Denver Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Denver

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Denver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,666 in Denver.

Austin, TX $2,663
Denver $2,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,649 in Denver.

Austin, TX $4,133
Denver $3,649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,631 in Denver.

Austin, TX $5,603
Denver $4,631

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Denver 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.94 A$24.37

22.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$95.2 A$137

-11.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.72 A$15.43

14.93%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.40 A$6.33

27.95%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.80 A$4.03

32.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.56 A$3.68

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.83 A$11.27

2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.46 A$10.74

20.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.34 A$1.92

-16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.99 A$4.31

25.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.53 A$3.65

28.85%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.49 A$7.89

-24.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.75 A$14.02

32.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.54 A$15.16

34.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.60 A$18.12

28.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.81 A$5.48

13.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.12 A$4.49

-53.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.04 A$4.37

48.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.08 A$7.31

-14.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.84 A$4.09

-9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.18 A$3.14

7.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.40 A$3.45

-25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.44 A$2.07

54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$43.07 A$62.0

-77.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.42 A$20.76

4.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.92 A$7.08

-40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.47 A$7.86

-36.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.65 A$3.82

-43.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$89.0 A$128

-53.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.98 A$5.73

-31.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.63 A$2.34

1.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$38.09 A$54.8

-7.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.44 A$2.07

-34.03%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.0K A$41.7K

24.33%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$31.1K A$44.8K

-12.97%

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

$229 $229

$210 A$302

9.28%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$27.33 A$39.33

117.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$58.6 A$84.3

19.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$53.3 A$76.7

7.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.34 A$26.39

-10.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$16.27 A$23.41

-12.23%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,199 A$3,165

-31.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$22.6K A$32.6K

-5.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$68.2 A$98.2

-22.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$48.94 A$70.4

-10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$104 A$150

-18.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$126 A$181

-18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,283 A$1,846

48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,346 A$1,938

-5.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,924 A$2,769

90.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,630 A$2,345

55.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$6,041 A$8,692

26.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$4,705 A$6,770

-32.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.84

16.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Denver: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Denver

$1.3K 50.5% 5.7% $72

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Denver

$375 14.1% 7.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Denver

$295 11.1% 17.5% $63

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Denver

$296 11.1% 16.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Denver

$156 5.9% 22.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Denver

$86 3.2% 0% $0

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Denver

$112 4.2% 90.3% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,283 in Denver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $95.0 in Denver. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $375, with Denver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Denver

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

05:00 5:00 AM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

149

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Denver 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Denver

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 Denver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $4,000 in Denver 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,283 in Denver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $2,199 in Denver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $95.0 in Denver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,666 in Denver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Austin, TX but tight or insufficient in Denver. The gap between the two cities makes Austin, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Denver are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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