Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Eau Claire, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Eau Claire, WI: $2,182 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Eau Claire, WI
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Eau Claire, WI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Eau Claire, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Eau Claire, WI

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 Eau Claire, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,182 in Eau Claire, WI.

Austin, TX $2,698
Eau Claire, WI $2,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,118 in Eau Claire, WI.

Austin, TX $4,160
Eau Claire, WI $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,054 in Eau Claire, WI.

Austin, TX $5,622
Eau Claire, WI $4,054

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 24% more expensive than in Eau Claire, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Eau Claire, WI 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.86 $18.86

9.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$66.4 $66.4

27.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.85 $9.85

22.54%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.19 $5.19

5.59%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.73 $2.73

39.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.47 $1.47

68.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.09 $4.09

96.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.16 $6.16

44.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.82 $0.82

35.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.39 $3.39

9.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.28 $4.28

-21.26%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.65 $3.65

18.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.96 $12.96

1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.40 $13.40

5.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.63 $14.63

11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.63 $4.63

-1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.22 $1.22

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.38 $3.38

39.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.96 $4.96

-16.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.84 $2.84

-9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.10 $3.10

-24.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.50 $1.50

18.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.34 $2.34

-8.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.63 $10.63

-4.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.84 $14.84

2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.15 $2.15

31.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.54 $4.54

-24.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.08 $2.08

-25.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$49.80 $49.80

-17.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.99 $3.99

-29.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.04 $2.04

-21.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$42.96 $42.96

-20.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.88 $0.88

6.82%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

26.84%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.66%

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

$223 $223

$216 $216

3.24%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$48.81 $48.81

20.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$69.0 $69.0

2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$56.0 $56.0

3.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$20.14 $20.14

-17.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.07 $11.07

28.82%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$996 $996

51.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.2K $23.2K

-10.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$48.99 $48.99

4.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$30.26 $30.26

45.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$108 $108

-19.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$82.1 $82.1

27.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,028 $1,028

88.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$894 $894

47.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,820 $1,820

101.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,260 $1,260

103.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,149 $2,149

242.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,946 $1,946

60.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,910 $3,910

35.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.65

2.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Eau Claire, WI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Eau Claire, WI

$894 41% 32.1% $422

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Eau Claire, WI

$391 17.9% 3.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Eau Claire, WI

$333 15.3% 5.3% $19

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Eau Claire, WI

$292 13.4% 16.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Eau Claire, WI

$121 5.6% 6% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Eau Claire, WI

$78 3.6% 9.4% $8.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Eau Claire, WI

$72 3.3% 24.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,028 in Eau Claire, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 35% 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 $66.0 in Eau Claire, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $391 per month, with Eau Claire, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Eau Claire, WI

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

68,802

💱 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 Eau Claire, WI 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Eau Claire, WI

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 Eau Claire, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eau Claire, WI wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Eau Claire, WI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% 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 $1,028 in Eau Claire, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,182 in Eau Claire, WI – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Eau Claire, WI 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 $2,182 in Eau Claire, WI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Eau Claire, WI but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Eau Claire, WI 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 Eau Claire, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.