Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Durango, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,047 in Durango, CO, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Durango, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Durango, CO
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Durango, CO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Durango, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Durango, CO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,047 in Durango, CO.

Austin, TX $2,607
Durango, CO $3,047

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,118 in Durango, CO.

Austin, TX $4,031
Durango, CO $4,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,189 in Durango, CO.

Austin, TX $5,454
Durango, CO $5,189

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 14% less than in Durango, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Durango, CO 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$15.25 $15.25

33.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$58.9 $58.9

43.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$7.80 $7.80

55.38%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.62 $4.62

22.29%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.89 $2.89

27.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.43 $2.43

-2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.14 $6.14

28.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.76 $6.76

30.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.99 $0.99

15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.27 $3.27

12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.30 $3.30

0.30%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.69 $4.69

-11.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.04 $12.04

7.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.62 $9.62

44.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$10.95 $10.95

49.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.35 $4.35

7.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.42 $1.42

2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.22 $4.22

21.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.19 $5.19

-12.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.22 $3.22

-4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.21 $3.21

-25.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.06 $2.06

-12.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.86 $2.86

-22.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.04 $11.04

-9.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$4.06 $4.06

270.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.47 $2.47

17.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.52 $3.52

-5.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$30.45 $30.45

33.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.70 $3.70

-24.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.98 $1.98

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$32.02 $32.02

10.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.83 $0.83

14.46%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.4K $29.4K

16.17%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

5.17%

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

$223 $223

$155 $155

44.31%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$51.9 $51.9

12.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$68.3 $68.3

4.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$18.90 $18.90

180.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.90 $11.90

18.15%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,345 $1,345

8.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$25.5K $25.5K

-16.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$54.1 $54.1

-2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$42.97 $42.97

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$103 $103

-16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$117 $117

-11.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,361 $2,361

-10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,926 $1,926

-36.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,370 $3,370

14.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,734 $2,734

-11.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,887 $4,887

51.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,884 $4,884

-37.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,737 $4,737

9.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.36

7.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Durango, CO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Durango, CO

$1.9K 63.2% 56.5% $696

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Durango, CO

$351 11.5% 14.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Durango, CO

$275 9% 22.1% $78

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Durango, CO

$266 8.7% 23.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Durango, CO

$143 4.7% 11.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Durango, CO

$43 1.4% 47.4% $38

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Durango, CO

$44 * 1.5% 22% $12

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,361 in Durango, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $59 in Durango, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $351 per month, with Durango, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Durango, CO

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

11:40 11:40 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

19,071

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Durango, CO 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Durango, CO

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 Durango, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Durango, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,361 in Durango, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,047 in Durango, CO – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durango, CO runs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.