Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Des Moines, IA: $2,171 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
Learn more

Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Des Moines, IA $2,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,236 in Des Moines, IA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Des Moines, IA $3,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,301 in Des Moines, IA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 24% more expensive than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Des Moines, IA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.69 $19.69

4.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$80.8 $80.8

4.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.22 $12.22

-1.23%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.16 $6.16

-11.04%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.93 $2.93

29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.56 $2.56

-3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.99 $4.99

61.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.89 $5.89

50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.91 $0.91

21.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.03 $3.03

22.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.38 $3.38

-0.30%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.00 $4.00

8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.69 $9.69

35.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.91 $9.91

42.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.68 $13.68

19.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.33 $4.33

5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.51 $1.51

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.54 $4.54

3.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.68 $3.68

12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.07 $3.07

-15.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.14 $2.14

9.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.38 $2.38

-25.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.19 $2.19

-2.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.85 $7.85

28.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.79 $14.79

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.70 $1.70

65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.09 $3.09

11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.73 $1.73

-10.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$58.1 $58.1

-29.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.97 $1.97

42.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.23 $1.23

30.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$19.70 $19.70

74.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.93 $0.93

1.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

25.04%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.1K $25.1K

6.43%

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

$223 $223

$185 $185

20.61%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$53.6 $53.6

9.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.2 $70.2

0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$63.8 $63.8

-9.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$20.14 $20.14

-17.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$9.99 $9.99

42.74%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,187 $1,187

27.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$12.0K $12.0K

74.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$59.5 $59.5

-13.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$42.98 $42.98

2.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$101 $101

-13.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$145 $145

-28.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,177 $1,177

64.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$872 $872

50.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,738 $1,738

110.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,394 $1,394

84.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,320 $2,320

216.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,325 $2,325

34.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,647 $3,647

44.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.56

3.51%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 33.7% $444

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 13.9% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 12.4% $44

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 6.6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 21.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 2.9% $2.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 26.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $81.0 in Des Moines, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $349 per month, with Des Moines, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

214,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Des Moines, IA 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Des Moines, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Des Moines, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Des Moines, IA runs roughly 42% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,171 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Des Moines, IA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Des Moines, IA 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 Des Moines, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Des Moines, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.