Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dover, DE

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Dover, DE: $2,663 and $2,596 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Dover, DE
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Dover, DE Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Dover, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Dover, DE

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,596 in Dover, DE.

Austin, TX $2,663
Dover, DE $2,596

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,779 in Dover, DE.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dover, DE $3,779

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,962 in Dover, DE.

Austin, TX $5,603
Dover, DE $4,962

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in Dover, DE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Dover, DE 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.03 $13.03

59.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$60.6 $60.6

39.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.33 $10.33

19.26%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.96 $4.96

13.51%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.19 $2.19

69.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.19 $2.19

14.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.87 $4.87

65.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.78 $7.78

15.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.94 $0.94

19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.88 $2.88

30.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.56 $2.56

27.34%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.13 $5.13

-18.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.89 $11.89

8.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$14.59 $14.59

-2.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.99 $18.99

-14.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.78 $4.78

-9.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.09 $1.09

33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$6.34 $6.34

-28.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.46 $5.46

-20.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.01 $3.01

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.03 $2.03

15.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.81 $1.81

-1.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.46 $2.46

-9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.28 $8.28

19.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.93 $14.93

1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.72 $1.72

69.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.97 $4.97

-30.38%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.98 $0.98

-3.06%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

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

$229 $229

$219 $219

4.59%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$49.42 $49.42

20.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$71.6 $71.6

-2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$122 $122

-53.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.26 $17.26

-17.27%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$704 $704

113.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

-0.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$46.69 $46.69

13.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.71 $35.71

22.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$112 $112

-24.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$196 $196

-47.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,665 $1,665

14.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,256 $1,256

1.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,432 $2,432

50.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,103 $2,103

20.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,039 $2,039

273.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,073 $2,073

52.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,808 $5,808

-11.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.72

1.04%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dover, DE: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Dover, DE

$1.3K 48.4% 1.4% $18

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Dover, DE

$416 16% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Dover, DE

$340 13.1% 5.1% $18

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Dover, DE

$252 9.7% 28.8% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Dover, DE

$176 6.8% 37.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Dover, DE

$157 6% 82.5% $71

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Dover, DE

- * 0% 100%

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 $1,665 in Dover, DE. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dover, DE pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $61.0 in Dover, DE. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $416, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Dover, DE

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

34,735

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Dover, DE 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dover, DE

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 Dover, DE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dover, DE wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dover, DE the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Dover, DE. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,665 in Dover, DE. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $704 in Dover, DE. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dover, DE – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Dover, DE is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Dover, DE gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.