Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Elizabeth City, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabeth City, NC: $2,456 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth City, NC
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Elizabeth City, NC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Elizabeth City, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Elizabeth City, NC

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 Elizabeth City, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Elizabeth City, NC $2,456

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,522 in Elizabeth City, NC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Elizabeth City, NC $3,522

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,588 in Elizabeth City, NC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Elizabeth City, NC $4,588

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 10% more expensive than in Elizabeth City, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Elizabeth City, NC 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$11.95 $11.95

72.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$34.93 $34.93

142.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.60 $11.60

4.05%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.84 $5.84

-6.16%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.52 $2.52

50.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.04 $2.04

21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.14 $6.14

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.09 $7.09

25.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.65 $3.65

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.00 $3.00

12.33%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.78 $4.78

-9.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.81 $10.81

21.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.01 $10.01

41.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.49 $17.49

-6.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.38 $4.38

3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.28 $1.28

14.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.39 $4.39

7.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.53 $4.53

-8.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.16 $2.16

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.21 $2.21

6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.01 $2.01

-11.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.23 $2.23

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.86 $8.86

14.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.74 $14.74

3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.12 $2.12

33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.65 $2.65

29.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.81 $1.81

-14.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.92 $2.92

-4.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.93 $1.93

-17.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$18.19 $18.19

88.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.00 $1.00

-6.00%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

11.07%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.45%

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

$223 $223

$183 $183

21.63%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$56.8 $56.8

3.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$59.6 $59.6

18.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$45.64 $45.64

26.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.06 $15.06

-5.31%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,491 $1,491

1.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.9K $24.9K

-15.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$54.7 $54.7

-6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.11 $40.11

10.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$87.8 $87.8

-0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$143 $143

-26.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,584 $1,584

22.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,279 $1,279

2.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,494 $2,494

46.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,164 $2,164

18.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,870 $2,870

156.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,355 $2,355

32.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.61

2.72%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth City, NC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Elizabeth City, NC

$1.3K 52.1% 2.9% $38

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Elizabeth City, NC

$373 15.2% 8.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Elizabeth City, NC

$299 12.2% 15% $53

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Elizabeth City, NC

$264 10.7% 24.7% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Elizabeth City, NC

$146 6% 13.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Elizabeth City, NC

$76 3.1% 12.1% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Elizabeth City, NC

$20 * 0.8% 65.8% $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 $1,584 in Elizabeth City, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $373 per month, with Elizabeth City, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Elizabeth City, NC

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

22:34 10:34 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

18,683

💱 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 Elizabeth City, NC 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Elizabeth City, NC

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 Elizabeth City, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elizabeth City, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Elizabeth City, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,685 in Elizabeth City, NC to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,584 in Elizabeth City, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,491 in Elizabeth City, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elizabeth City, NC – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Elizabeth City, NC 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.

Expats usually find Elizabeth City, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.