Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dorchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Dorchester: $2,161 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

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

Cost of Living Index in Dorchester
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Dorchester Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Dorchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,161 in Dorchester.

Austin, TX $2,663
Dorchester $2,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,191 in Dorchester.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dorchester $3,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,221 in Dorchester.

Austin, TX $5,603
Dorchester $4,221

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 23% more expensive than in Dorchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Dorchester 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$15.96 £11.98

30.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$79.7 £59.8

6.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.21 £3.91

136.47%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.54 £3.41

24.01%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.57 £1.93

44.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.74 £1.30

43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.63 £5.72

5.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.59 £4.94

36.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.57 £1.18

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.31 £0.98

186.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.08 £1.56

56.73%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.29 £3.22

-2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.14 £6.11

58.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.65 £6.49

63.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.53 £8.65

40.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.83 £2.12

53.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.79 £1.35

-18.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.58 £1.94

74.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.11 £3.09

5.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.96 £1.47

31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.46 £1.10

60.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.81 £0.61

119.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.99 £1.50

11.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$22.79 £17.09

-56.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.41 £7.81

44.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.79 £2.09

4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.51 £2.63

-1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.40 £2.55

-56.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$95.9 £71.9

-56.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.47 £2.60

-21.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.70 £1.27

-2.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$25.93 £19.45

36.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.05 £1.54

-53.66%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$38.0K £28.5K

-5.03%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$41.0K £30.8K

-33.98%

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

$229 $229

$221 £166

3.41%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$16.80 £12.60

253.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$38.25 £28.69

82.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.59 £34.20

25.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.82 £10.37

3.33%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,232 £1,674

-32.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$24.9K £18.7K

-13.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$59.3 £44.51

-10.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$47.38 £35.55

-7.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$107 £80.3

-20.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$95.7 £71.8

7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,224 £919

55.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$995 £746

28.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,075 £1,557

76.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,625 £1,219

56.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,055 £3,792

50.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,880 £2,911

-18.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,750 £1,313

192.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.87

39.43%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dorchester: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Dorchester

$995 46% 21.9% $279

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Dorchester

$290 13.4% 28.3% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Dorchester

$276 12.8% 22.8% $82

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Dorchester

$266 12.3% 24.7% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Dorchester

$139 6.4% 8.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Dorchester

$73 3.4% 14.6% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Dorchester

$121 5.6% 107% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,224 in Dorchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 193% 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 $80.0 in Dorchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $290 per month, with Dorchester cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Dorchester

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

09:35 9:35 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

19,500

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Dorchester 7,800 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dorchester

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 Dorchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dorchester wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dorchester the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 193% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,224 in Dorchester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,161 in Dorchester – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dorchester runs roughly 130% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,161 in Dorchester versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dorchester but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dorchester 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 Dorchester 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 Dorchester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.