Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and East Chicago, IN

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in East Chicago, IN: $2,607 and $2,605 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in East Chicago, IN
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East Chicago, IN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

East Chicago, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in East Chicago, IN

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 East Chicago, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,605 in East Chicago, IN.

Austin, TX $2,607
East Chicago, IN $2,605

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,819 in East Chicago, IN.

Austin, TX $4,031
East Chicago, IN $3,819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,034 in East Chicago, IN.

Austin, TX $5,454
East Chicago, IN $5,034

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and East Chicago, IN; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, East Chicago, IN 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$22.32 $22.32

-8.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$65.1 $65.1

30.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.87 $11.87

2.11%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.63 $5.63

0.36%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.28 $2.28

61.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.05 $2.05

15.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.81 $6.81

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.27 $6.27

40.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.06 $1.06

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.05 $3.05

20.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.75 $4.75

-30.32%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.58 $3.58

15.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.42 $13.42

-3.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.42 $12.42

11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.70 $18.70

-12.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.08 $5.08

-7.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.55 $1.55

-6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.28 $4.28

19.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.13 $4.13

9.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.79 $2.79

10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.07 $3.07

-22.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.23 $2.23

-19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.23 $2.23

-0.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.24 $10.24

-2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.19 $17.19

-12.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.98 $1.98

46.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.10 $3.10

7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.86 $1.86

-34.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$51.2 $51.2

-20.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.41 $3.41

-18.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.56 $1.56

5.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$28.94 $28.94

22.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$28.8K $28.8K

18.67%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.9K $24.9K

7.40%

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

$223 $223

$199 $199

11.96%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$57.1 $57.1

2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$69.7 $69.7

2.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$34.38 $34.38

54.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.97 $12.97

8.40%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,336 $1,336

9.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.6K $21.6K

-1.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$55.8 $55.8

-5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$37.96 $37.96

12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$91.3 $91.3

-5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$108 $108

-3.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,578 $1,578

33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,265 $1,265

-2.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,539 $2,539

52.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,140 $2,140

12.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,920 $2,920

154.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,165 $2,165

41.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,091 $4,091

26.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.57

3.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for East Chicago, IN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

East Chicago, IN

$1.3K 48.6% 2.8% $35

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

East Chicago, IN

$406 15.6% 0.9% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

East Chicago, IN

$326 12.5% 7.6% $27

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

East Chicago, IN

$346 13.3% 0.7% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

East Chicago, IN

$132 5.1% 2.7% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

East Chicago, IN

$60 2.3% 25.7% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

East Chicago, IN

$70 2.7% 23.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,578 in East Chicago, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 27% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $65 in East Chicago, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $406 per month, with East Chicago, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 East Chicago, IN

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

26,370

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX East Chicago, IN 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
East Chicago, IN

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 East Chicago, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 27% 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 $1,578 in East Chicago, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 21% less than in East Chicago, IN. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Dining out is cheaper in East Chicago, IN – a meal for two runs $65 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. East Chicago, IN 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.

It comes down to priorities – East Chicago, IN wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.