Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Frederick, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederick, MD: $2,554 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Frederick, MD
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Frederick, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Frederick, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Frederick, MD

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 Frederick, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,554 in Frederick, MD.

Austin, TX $2,698
Frederick, MD $2,554

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,056 in Frederick, MD.

Austin, TX $4,160
Frederick, MD $4,056

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,558 in Frederick, MD.

Austin, TX $5,622
Frederick, MD $5,558

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Frederick, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Frederick, MD 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.14 $18.14

13.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$90.9 $90.9

-6.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.90 $9.90

21.92%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.62 $4.62

18.61%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.13 $3.13

21.41%

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

$5.99 $5.99

34.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.32 $7.32

21.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.99 $0.99

12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.32 $4.32

-13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.62 $4.62

-27.06%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.81 $3.81

13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.96 $12.96

1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.26 $11.26

25.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.56 $14.56

12.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.51 $5.51

-17.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.56 $1.56

-6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.42 $4.42

6.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.88 $5.88

-29.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.18 $3.18

-18.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.82 $3.82

-38.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.39 $3.39

-47.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.35 $2.35

-8.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.80 $9.80

3.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$16.75 $16.75

-9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.72 $1.72

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.95 $2.95

16.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.02 $4.02

-30.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.21 $1.21

32.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.90 $24.90

37.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.95 $0.95

-1.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$29.0K $29.0K

16.99%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.45%

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

$223 $223

$107 $107

108.20%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$47.62 $47.62

23.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$61.7 $61.7

14.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.51 $41.51

39.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.57 $14.57

-2.13%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,615 $1,615

-6.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$36.2K $36.2K

-42.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$37.51 $37.51

36.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$36.77 $36.77

20.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$96.4 $96.4

-9.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$97.5 $97.5

7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,784 $1,784

8.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,425 $1,425

-7.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,207 $3,207

14.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,867 $2,867

-10.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,477 $2,477

196.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,146 $2,146

45.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,015 $5,015

5.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.1

11.31%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Frederick, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Frederick, MD

$1.4K 55.8% 8.2% $108

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Frederick, MD

$417 16.3% 2.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Frederick, MD

$216 8.5% 38.6% $136

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Frederick, MD

$295 11.6% 15.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Frederick, MD

$121 4.7% 6.5% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Frederick, MD

$71 2.8% 18.1% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Frederick, MD

$10 * 0.4% 82.6% $48

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 $1,784 in Frederick, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 5% 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 $91.0 in Frederick, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $417 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Frederick, MD

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

72,237

💱 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 Frederick, MD 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Frederick, MD

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 Frederick, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Frederick, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Frederick, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% 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 $1,784 in Frederick, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,615 in Frederick, MD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Frederick, MD – a meal for two runs $91.0 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. Frederick, MD 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 Frederick, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.