Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and East Lansing, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in East Lansing, MI: $2,318 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
113

Cost of Living Index in East Lansing, MI
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East Lansing, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

East Lansing, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,318

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in East Lansing, MI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI.

Austin, TX $2,663
East Lansing, MI $2,318

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,429 in East Lansing, MI.

Austin, TX $4,133
East Lansing, MI $3,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,540 in East Lansing, MI.

Austin, TX $5,603
East Lansing, MI $4,540

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than in East Lansing, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, East Lansing, MI 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.62 $16.62

24.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.9 $73.9

14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.21 $12.21

0.90%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.24 $5.24

7.44%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.46 $2.46

51.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.20 $2.20

13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.93 $4.93

63.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.47 $6.47

39.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.84 $0.84

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.92 $2.92

28.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$5.18 $5.18

-37.07%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.75 $2.75

51.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.93 $10.93

18.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$16.78 $16.78

-15.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.59 $16.59

-2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.24 $5.24

-17.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.53 $1.53

-4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$6.76 $6.76

-33.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.61 $3.61

20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.81 $5.81

-55.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$5.66 $5.66

-58.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.15 $2.15

-17.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.96 $3.96

-43.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.58 $9.58

3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$16.14 $16.14

-6.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.94 $1.94

50.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.52 $1.52

127.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.60 $1.60

-6.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$50.5 $50.5

-17.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$9.80 $9.80

-72.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.20 $3.20

-48.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.93 $9.93

255.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.97 $0.97

-2.06%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.5K $34.5K

4.55%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

4.86%

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

$229 $229

$173 $173

32.73%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$54.1 $54.1

9.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$63.1 $63.1

10.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$36.22 $36.22

58.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.24 $15.24

7.15%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.21 $11.21

27.39%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$645 $645

133.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.0K $11.0K

95.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$54.2 $54.2

-2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$37.29 $37.29

17.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$69.0 $69.0

22.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$85.0 $85.0

21.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,231 $1,231

54.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,041 $1,041

22.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,063 $2,063

77.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,684 $1,684

50.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,070 $2,070

267.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,594 $1,594

98.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$6,117 $6,117

-16.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.56

3.51%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for East Lansing, MI: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

East Lansing, MI

$1K 44.9% 18.3% $233

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

East Lansing, MI

$446 19.3% 10.3% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

East Lansing, MI

$290 12.5% 19.2% $69

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

East Lansing, MI

$289 12.5% 18.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

East Lansing, MI

$110 4.8% 13.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

East Lansing, MI

$59 2.5% 31.7% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

East Lansing, MI

$83 3.6% 40.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,231 in East Lansing, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Lansing, MI pays 19% 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 $74.0 in East Lansing, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $446, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 East Lansing, MI

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

47,741

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX East Lansing, MI 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
East Lansing, MI

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 Lansing, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

East Lansing, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making East Lansing, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in East Lansing, MI. 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 $1,231 in East Lansing, MI. 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 $2,318 in East Lansing, MI – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

At $2,318 in East Lansing, MI versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in East Lansing, MI but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes East Lansing, MI 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 East Lansing, MI 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 East Lansing, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.