Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Edwardsville, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Edwardsville, IL: $2,698 and $2,709 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Edwardsville, IL
Learn more

Edwardsville, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Edwardsville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Edwardsville, IL

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 Edwardsville, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,709 in Edwardsville, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Edwardsville, IL $2,709

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,793 in Edwardsville, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Edwardsville, IL $3,793

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,877 in Edwardsville, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Edwardsville, IL $4,877

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Edwardsville, IL 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$21.46 $21.46

-3.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$66.4 $66.4

27.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.60 $11.60

4.05%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.07 $5.07

8.09%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.84 $2.84

33.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.99 $1.99

24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.41 $5.41

48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.62 $7.62

16.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.99 $0.99

12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.35 $3.35

11.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.66 $4.66

-27.68%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.54 $4.54

-4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.73 $11.73

11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.06 $12.06

17.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.58 $14.58

12.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.32 $4.32

5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.77 $1.77

-17.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.97 $3.97

18.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.47 $4.47

-7.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.08 $3.08

-16.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.76 $2.76

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.41 $2.41

-26.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.11 $2.11

1.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.04 $9.04

11.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$16.27 $16.27

-6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.87 $1.87

50.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.73 $3.73

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.97 $1.97

-21.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$101 $101

-59.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.35 $3.35

-16.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.87 $1.87

-14.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$29.51 $29.51

16.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.98 $0.98

-4.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$29.9K $29.9K

13.74%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

6.25%

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

$223 $223

$196 $196

13.56%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$57.4 $57.4

2.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$69.6 $69.6

1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.56 $41.56

38.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.46 $15.46

-7.76%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,426 $1,426

5.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.9K $24.9K

-16.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$52.1 $52.1

-1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$41.41 $41.41

6.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$89.3 $89.3

-2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$116 $116

-10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,824 $1,824

6.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,340 $1,340

-1.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,366 $2,366

54.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,919 $1,919

33.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,030 $3,030

142.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,373 $2,373

31.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,962 $4,962

6.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Edwardsville, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Edwardsville, IL

$1.3K 49.4% 1.8% $23

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Edwardsville, IL

$389 14.4% 4.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Edwardsville, IL

$323 11.9% 8.3% $29

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Edwardsville, IL

$329 12.1% 6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Edwardsville, IL

$135 5% 4.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Edwardsville, IL

$72 2.7% 15.9% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Edwardsville, IL

$122 4.5% 110% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,824 in Edwardsville, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 7% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $66.0 in Edwardsville, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $389 per month, with Edwardsville, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Edwardsville, IL

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

26,808

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Edwardsville, IL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Edwardsville, IL

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 Edwardsville, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 7% 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 $1,824 in Edwardsville, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,426 in Edwardsville, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $66.0 in Edwardsville, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Edwardsville, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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