Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Dothan, AL: $2,058 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
101

Cost of Living Index in Dothan, AL
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Dothan, AL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Dothan, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Dothan, 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 Dothan, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,058 in Dothan, AL.

Austin, TX $2,663
Dothan, AL $2,058

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,216 in Dothan, AL.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dothan, AL $3,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,373 in Dothan, AL.

Austin, TX $5,603
Dothan, AL $4,373

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 29% more expensive than in Dothan, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Dothan, AL 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$15.25 $15.25

36.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$49.01 $49.01

72.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.64 $9.64

27.80%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.97 $4.97

13.28%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.12 $2.12

75.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.83 $1.83

36.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.03 $5.03

60.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.94 $6.94

29.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.85 $0.85

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.33 $3.33

12.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.51 $3.51

-7.12%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.88 $4.88

-14.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.80 $13.80

-6.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$14.61 $14.61

-3.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.50 $11.50

41.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.82 $5.82

-25.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.44 $1.44

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.95 $5.95

-24.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.10 $5.10

-14.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.73 $3.73

-30.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.69 $2.69

-12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.16 $2.16

-17.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.71 $2.71

-18.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.52 $8.52

15.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.47 $13.47

11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.90 $3.90

-25.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.01 $5.01

-30.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.43 $3.43

-20.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.46 $1.46

13.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$24.10 $24.10

46.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.86 $0.86

10.47%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.6K $36.6K

-1.50%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

4.96%

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

$229 $229

$219 $219

4.76%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$69.1 $69.1

-14.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$39.23 $39.23

78.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.22 $15.22

-6.18%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,823 $1,823

-17.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$22.3K $22.3K

-3.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.6 $52.6

0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$44.24 $44.24

-0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$98.2 $98.2

-13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$108 $108

-4.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$905 $905

110.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$863 $863

47.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,436 $1,436

155.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,848 $1,848

37.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,455 $1,455

423.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,496 $1,496

111.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,286 $3,286

55.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.54

3.82%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dothan, AL: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Dothan, AL

$863 41.9% 32.3% $411

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Dothan, AL

$426 20.7% 5.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Dothan, AL

$327 15.9% 8.8% $31

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Dothan, AL

$265 12.9% 25% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Dothan, AL

$137 6.6% 6.7% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Dothan, AL

$30 * 1.5% 64.5% $55

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Dothan, AL

$11 * 0.5% 81.7% $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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $905 in Dothan, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 56% 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 $49.00 in Dothan, AL. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $426, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Dothan, AL

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

71,072

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Dothan, AL 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dothan, 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 Dothan, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dothan, AL wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dothan, AL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 56% 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 $905 in Dothan, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,823 in Dothan, AL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dothan, AL – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,058 in Dothan, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dothan, AL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dothan, AL 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 Dothan, AL 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 Dothan, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.