Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,057 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Elgin, IL
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Elgin, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Elgin, 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 Elgin, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,057 in Elgin, IL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Elgin, IL $1,057

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $2,633 in Elgin, IL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Elgin, IL $2,633

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,209 in Elgin, IL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Elgin, IL $4,209

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 147% more expensive than in Elgin, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 92% above, Elgin, IL is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.39 $20.39

-0.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$59.1 $59.1

43.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.94 $9.94

21.93%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.08 $4.08

38.48%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.06 $3.06

20.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.04 $2.04

15.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.98 $5.98

31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.88 $4.88

80.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.87 $0.87

31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.52 $3.52

4.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.15 $4.15

-20.24%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.64 $3.64

14.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.13 $11.13

16.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.06 $13.06

6.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$11.98 $11.98

36.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.47 $4.47

4.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.33 $1.33

9.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.53 $2.53

101.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.04 $4.04

11.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.00 $2.00

54.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.01 $2.01

18.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.78 $1.78

1.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.40 $2.40

-7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.58 $10.58

-5.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.75 $15.75

-4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.71 $2.71

7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.54 $3.54

-5.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.05 $4.05

-31.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.04 $2.04

-19.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$27.57 $27.57

28.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.04 $1.04

-8.65%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$31.2K $31.2K

9.70%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.78%

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

$223 $223

$98.8 $98.8

125.73%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$53.3 $53.3

9.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$49.92 $49.92

42.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.10 $15.10

-6.89%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,656 $1,656

-11.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.4K $23.4K

-8.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$40.64 $40.64

29.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$50.3 $50.3

-14.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$99.6 $99.6

-13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,162 $2,162

78.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,820 $1,820

32.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,201 $2,201

237.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,268 $2,268

34.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,966 $3,966

30.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.69

1.94%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Elgin, IL

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Elgin, IL

$368 34.9% 10.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Elgin, IL

$202 19.1% 42.7% $151

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Elgin, IL

$302 28.6% 13.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Elgin, IL

$140 13.2% 8.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.9% 62.8% $51

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4% 74.7% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 31% 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 in Austin, TX vs $59 in Elgin, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $368 per month, with Elgin, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

112,603

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Elgin, IL 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Elgin, 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 Elgin, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elgin, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Elgin, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 31% 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.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,656 in Elgin, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elgin, IL – a meal for two runs $59 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Elgin, IL versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elgin, IL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin, IL 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.

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