Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ely, Cambridgeshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Ely, Cambridgeshire: $2,350 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Ely, Cambridgeshire
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,350
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ely, Cambridgeshire

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 Ely, Cambridgeshire actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,350 in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Ely, Cambridgeshire $2,350

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,545 in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Ely, Cambridgeshire $3,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,740 in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Ely, Cambridgeshire $4,740

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Ely, Cambridgeshire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Ely, Cambridgeshire 74% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$23.60 £17.70
-11.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$93.9 £70.5
-9.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$13.23 £9.93
-6.88%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$5.04 £3.78
11.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.45 £1.84
51.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.76 £1.32
42.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$5.14 £3.86
56.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$3.31 £2.48
172.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.23 £0.93
-8.94%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.64 £1.23
128.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.66 £1.99
22.56%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.51 £2.64
18.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$10.60 £7.95
21.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$11.14 £8.35
27.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$16.97 £12.73
-4.42%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.99 £2.99
8.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.31 £0.98
11.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.57 £1.93
75.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$4.23 £3.17
2.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.61 £1.21
60.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.62 £1.22
45.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.14 £0.86
56.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.48 £1.11
50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$20.82 £15.62
-52.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$10.68 £8.01
41.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.17 £1.63
34.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.76 £2.07
25.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$5.70 £4.27
-73.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$56.3 £42.25
-25.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$4.19 £3.14
-34.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.37 £1.78
-29.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$2.14 £1.60
-55.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$40.3K £30.2K
-10.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$41.7K £31.3K
-35.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$274 £205
-16.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$16.82 £12.62
253.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$32.97 £24.73
112.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$43.38 £32.54
31.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$15.58 £11.69
4.81%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$15.96 £11.97
-10.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$1,716 £1,288
-12.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$14.6K £11.0K
46.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$95.5 £71.7
-44.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$55.4 £41.57
-20.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$123 £92.6
-31.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$104 £78.0
-0.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$1,130 £848
68.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$1,029 £772
23.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,860 £1,396
96.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,753 £1,315
44.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$5,848 £4,387
30.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$5,049 £3,788
-37.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$3,284 £2,464
55.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
4.62
46.97%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ely, Cambridgeshire: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Ely, Cambridgeshire
$1K 19.2% $245
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Ely, Cambridgeshire
$319 21.1% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Ely, Cambridgeshire
$324 9.7% $35
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Ely, Cambridgeshire
$338 4.4% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Ely, Cambridgeshire
$170 33% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Ely, Cambridgeshire
$75 12.2% $11
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Ely, Cambridgeshire
$95 62.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,130 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 56% 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 $94.0 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $319, with Ely, Cambridgeshire cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇬🇧 Ely, Cambridgeshire
🕒 Local time
22:34 10:34 PM
04:34 4:34 AM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
20,574
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Ely, Cambridgeshire 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Ely, Cambridgeshire

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 Ely, Cambridgeshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Ely, Cambridgeshire?
Ely, Cambridgeshire wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ely, Cambridgeshire the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Ely, Cambridgeshire?
Average pay runs 56% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Ely, Cambridgeshire?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,130 in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Ely, Cambridgeshire?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,350 in Ely, Cambridgeshire – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Ely, Cambridgeshire?
A monthly transit pass in Ely, Cambridgeshire runs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Austin, TX or in Ely, Cambridgeshire?
At $2,350 in Ely, Cambridgeshire versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ely, Cambridgeshire but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ely, Cambridgeshire the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Ely, Cambridgeshire?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Ely, Cambridgeshire?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Ely, Cambridgeshire are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ely, Cambridgeshire gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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