Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gaithersburg, MD outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Gaithersburg, MD
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Gaithersburg, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Gaithersburg, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Austin, TX $2,607
Gaithersburg, MD $2,884

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,097 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Austin, TX $4,031
Gaithersburg, MD $4,097

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,309 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Austin, TX $5,454
Gaithersburg, MD $5,309

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 10% less than in Gaithersburg, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Gaithersburg, MD 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.62 $19.62

3.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$89.2 $89.2

-4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$6.85 $6.85

76.93%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.82 $5.82

-2.92%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.77 $2.77

32.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.49 $2.49

-5.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.97 $7.97

-1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.60 $8.60

2.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.21 $1.21

-5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.37 $4.37

-15.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.39 $5.39

-38.59%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.11 $5.11

-18.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$17.57 $17.57

-26.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$15.78 $15.78

-12.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.04 $19.04

-14.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.77 $4.77

-1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.73 $1.73

-16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.76 $4.76

7.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.27 $5.27

-14.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.00 $3.00

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.01 $2.01

18.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.09 $2.09

-13.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.56 $2.56

-13.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$13.36 $13.36

-25.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.85 $14.85

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.76 $1.76

65.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.81 $2.81

18.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.07 $4.07

-31.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.22 $1.22

35.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$25.06 $25.06

41.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.98 $0.98

-3.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

25.10%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.24%

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

$223 $223

$161 $161

38.74%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$51.1 $51.1

14.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$60.9 $60.9

16.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$32.27 $32.27

64.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$16.91 $16.91

-16.85%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,834 $1,834

-20.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$36.1K $36.1K

-40.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$55.1 $55.1

-4.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$35.73 $35.73

19.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$100 $100

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$122 $122

-15.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,803 $1,803

17.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,606 $1,606

-23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,442 $2,442

58.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,354 $2,354

2.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,452 $2,452

202.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,566 $2,566

19.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,307 $5,307

-2.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.79

0.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gaithersburg, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Gaithersburg, MD

$1.6K 55.7% 30.5% $375

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Gaithersburg, MD

$462 16% 12.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Gaithersburg, MD

$273 9.5% 22.6% $80

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Gaithersburg, MD

$325 11.3% 6.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Gaithersburg, MD

$141 4.9% 9.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Gaithersburg, MD

$66 2.3% 18.6% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Gaithersburg, MD

$10 * 0.4% 82% $46

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,803 in Gaithersburg, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $89 in Gaithersburg, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $462 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Gaithersburg, MD

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

22:21 10:21 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

69,657

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Gaithersburg, MD 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Gaithersburg, 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 Gaithersburg, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $4,326 in Gaithersburg, MD 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,803 in Gaithersburg, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,834 in Gaithersburg, MD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $89 in Gaithersburg, MD. 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.