Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Evanston, IL: $2,607 and $2,572 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
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Evanston, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,572 in Evanston, IL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Evanston, IL $2,572

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,469 in Evanston, IL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Evanston, IL $4,469

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,366 in Evanston, IL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Evanston, IL $6,366

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 1% more expensive than in Evanston, IL.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Evanston, IL 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.30 $20.30

0.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$85.2 $85.2

-0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.82 $12.82

-5.46%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.83 $5.83

-3.09%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.71 $2.71

35.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.24 $2.24

5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.98 $6.98

12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.88 $7.88

11.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.04 $1.04

9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.73 $3.73

-1.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.27 $4.27

-22.48%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.58 $4.58

-9.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.66 $13.66

-4.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.34 $14.34

-3.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.96 $19.96

-18.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.23 $5.23

-10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.62 $1.62

-10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.86 $3.86

32.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.00 $5.00

-9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.77 $2.77

11.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.94 $2.94

-19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.08 $2.08

-13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.37 $2.37

-6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.83 $10.83

-7.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.24 $15.24

-1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.67 $2.67

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.34 $3.34

-0.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.46 $2.46

-50.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$75.2 $75.2

-46.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.02 $4.02

-30.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.42 $1.42

16.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$44.50 $44.50

-20.47%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

13.96%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.63%

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

$223 $223

$194 $194

14.74%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$60.4 $60.4

-3.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$74.0 $74.0

-3.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$75.0 $75.0

-29.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$59.6 $59.6

-71.89%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.74 $14.74

-4.61%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,646 $1,646

-11.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$31.6K $31.6K

-32.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$63.6 $63.6

-17.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$50.1 $50.1

-14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$108 $108

-20.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$127 $127

-17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,688 $1,688

25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,111 $1,111

10.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$4,000 $4,000

-3.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,055 $3,055

-21.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$14.4K $14.4K

-48.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$12.7K $12.7K

-75.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,558 $5,558

-6.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.81

0.15%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Evanston, 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%

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.2% 9.7% $119

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Evanston, IL

$433 16.9% 5.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Evanston, IL

$329 12.8% 6.8% $24

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Evanston, IL

$341 13.3% 2% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Evanston, IL

$157 6.1% 22.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Evanston, IL

$105 4.1% 28.8% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Evanston, IL

$96 3.7% 70.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,688 in Evanston, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Evanston, IL pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $85 in Evanston, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $433 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

74,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Evanston, IL 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX and Evanston, IL differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,607 vs $2,572 including rent). Evanston, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,688 in Evanston, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,646 in Evanston, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 46% less than in Evanston, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Evanston, IL gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.