Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Freehold, NJ

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Freehold, NJ: $2,607 and $2,635 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Freehold, NJ
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Freehold, NJ Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Freehold, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Freehold, NJ

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 Freehold, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,635 in Freehold, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,607
Freehold, NJ $2,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,842 in Freehold, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,031
Freehold, NJ $3,842

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,050 in Freehold, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,454
Freehold, NJ $5,050

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Freehold, NJ; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Freehold, NJ 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.77 $19.77

2.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$69.9 $69.9

21.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.33 $11.33

6.97%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.47 $4.47

26.40%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.30 $2.30

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.86 $1.86

26.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.95 $5.95

32.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.64 $6.64

32.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.05 $1.05

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.50 $3.50

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.40 $4.40

-24.77%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.09 $4.09

1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.44 $12.44

4.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.61 $11.61

19.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.79 $16.79

-2.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.99 $4.99

-6.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.63 $1.63

-11.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.22 $4.22

21.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.74 $4.74

-4.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.85 $2.85

8.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.93 $2.93

-18.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.20 $2.20

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.21 $2.21

0.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.91 $9.91

0.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.76 $14.76

1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.02 $2.02

44.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.40 $3.40

-2.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.18 $2.18

-44.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$65.8 $65.8

-38.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.05 $3.05

-8.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.97 $1.97

-16.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$33.38 $33.38

6.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.02 $1.02

-6.86%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

29.95%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.56%

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

$223 $223

$198 $198

12.76%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.3 $59.3

-1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$70.1 $70.1

1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.50 $40.50

30.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.21 $14.21

-1.06%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,357 $1,357

7.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.9K $23.9K

-10.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$52.3 $52.3

0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$41.24 $41.24

3.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$88.3 $88.3

-2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$113 $113

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,590 $1,590

32.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,316 $1,316

-6.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,513 $2,513

53.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,174 $2,174

10.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,800 $2,800

165.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,308 $2,308

32.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,850 $3,850

34.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.57

3.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Freehold, NJ: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Freehold, NJ

$1.3K 49.9% 7% $86

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Freehold, NJ

$397 15.1% 3.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Freehold, NJ

$327 12.4% 7.2% $26

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Freehold, NJ

$306 11.6% 12.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Freehold, NJ

$133 5% 3.4% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Freehold, NJ

$69 2.6% 15.1% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Freehold, NJ

$87 3.3% 54.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,590 in Freehold, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $70 in Freehold, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $397 per month, with Freehold, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Freehold, NJ

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

05:30 5:30 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

11,394

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Freehold, NJ 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Freehold, NJ

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 Freehold, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 35% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,590 in Freehold, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,357 in Freehold, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Freehold, NJ – a meal for two runs $70 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.