Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and East Rutherford, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in East Rutherford, NJ: $2,319 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in East Rutherford, NJ
Learn more

East Rutherford, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

East Rutherford, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in East Rutherford, NJ

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 Rutherford, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,319 in East Rutherford, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,698
East Rutherford, NJ $2,319

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,871 in East Rutherford, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,160
East Rutherford, NJ $3,871

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,423 in East Rutherford, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,622
East Rutherford, NJ $5,423

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 16% more expensive than in East Rutherford, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, East Rutherford, NJ 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$21.74 $21.74

-5.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$100 $100

-15.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.79 $10.79

11.86%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.17 $5.17

6.00%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.22 $2.22

71.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.97 $1.97

25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.06 $6.06

32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.22 $8.22

8.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.26 $1.26

-11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.22 $4.22

-11.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$7.01 $7.01

-51.93%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.95 $4.95

-12.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.97 $11.97

9.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.81 $11.81

19.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.43 $17.43

-6.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.49 $5.49

-17.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.55 $1.55

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.22 $5.22

-9.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.29 $5.29

-21.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.71 $2.71

-4.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.09 $3.09

-23.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.43 $2.43

-27.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.47 $2.47

-13.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.94 $11.94

-15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$24.20 $24.20

-37.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.69 $1.69

66.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.32 $4.32

-20.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.26 $2.26

-31.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.64 $2.64

6.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.58 $1.58

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$23.68 $23.68

45.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.07 $1.07

-12.15%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

20.86%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.72%

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

$223 $223

$215 $215

3.55%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$63.0 $63.0

-6.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$65.2 $65.2

8.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.44 $40.44

42.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.22 $15.22

-6.31%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,216 $2,216

-31.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.8K $23.8K

-12.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$41.29 $41.29

24.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$47.90 $47.90

-7.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$76.3 $76.3

14.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$157 $157

-33.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,079 $1,079

79.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$955 $955

37.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,831 $2,831

29.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,310 $2,310

11.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,470 $2,470

197.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,233 $2,233

40.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,174 $5,174

2.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.75

0.59%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for East Rutherford, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

East Rutherford, NJ

$955 41.2% 27.4% $361

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

East Rutherford, NJ

$453 19.5% 11.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

East Rutherford, NJ

$343 14.8% 2.5% $8.9

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

East Rutherford, NJ

$332 14.3% 5.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

East Rutherford, NJ

$145 6.3% 12.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

East Rutherford, NJ

$71 3.1% 17.8% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

East Rutherford, NJ

$20 * 0.8% 66.2% $38

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,079 in East Rutherford, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2% 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 $100 in East Rutherford, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $453 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 East Rutherford, NJ

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,000

💱 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 East Rutherford, NJ 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
East Rutherford, NJ

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 Rutherford, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

East Rutherford, NJ wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making East Rutherford, NJ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,079 in East Rutherford, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $2,216 in East Rutherford, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in East Rutherford, NJ – a meal for two runs $100 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,319 in East Rutherford, NJ versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in East Rutherford, NJ but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes East Rutherford, NJ 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.

Expats usually find East Rutherford, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.