Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Garland, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Garland, TX: $2,607 and $2,621 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Garland, TX
Learn more

Garland, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Garland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Garland, TX

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 Garland, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,621 in Garland, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
Garland, TX $2,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,788 in Garland, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
Garland, TX $3,788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,954 in Garland, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
Garland, TX $4,954

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Garland, TX 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.07 $18.07

12.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$53.1 $53.1

59.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.20 $10.20

18.82%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.66 $5.66

-0.18%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.56 $2.56

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.27 $2.27

3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.58 $5.58

41.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.57 $7.57

16.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.86 $0.86

32.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.91 $3.91

-5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.32 $5.32

-37.78%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.77 $4.77

-13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$7.49 $7.49

73.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.84 $11.84

17.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.10 $19.10

-14.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.51 $5.51

-14.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.24 $1.24

16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.12 $5.12

-0.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.45 $4.45

1.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.00 $2.00

54.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.10 $2.10

13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.14 $2.14

-15.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.41 $1.41

57.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.90 $9.90

0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.80 $10.80

39.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.00 $2.00

45.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.26 $3.26

2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.97 $2.97

-58.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$94.6 $94.6

-57.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.97 $2.97

-6.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.70 $1.70

-2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.67 $23.67

49.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.92 $0.92

3.26%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

26.21%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.70%

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

$223 $223

$206 $206

8.51%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$55.6 $55.6

5.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$78.9 $78.9

-9.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$39.94 $39.94

32.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$16.33 $16.33

2.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.23 $15.23

-7.68%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,174 $1,174

24.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$28.1K $28.1K

-23.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$60.4 $60.4

-13.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$29.19 $29.19

46.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$85.7 $85.7

0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,516 $1,516

39.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,276 $1,276

-3.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,296 $2,296

68.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,106 $2,106

14.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,212 $3,212

131.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,973 $1,973

55.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,488 $3,488

48.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.62

3.02%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Garland, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Garland, TX

$1.3K 48.7% 3.7% $46

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Garland, TX

$378 14.4% 7.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Garland, TX

$340 13% 3.6% $13

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Garland, TX

$305 11.7% 12.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Garland, TX

$133 5.1% 3.3% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Garland, TX

$70 2.7% 13.3% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Garland, TX

$118 4.5% 109% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,516 in Garland, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $53 in Garland, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $378 per month, with Garland, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Garland, TX

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

242,035

💱 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 Garland, TX 310 km

From you

Austin, TX
Garland, TX

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 Garland, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 48% 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 $1,516 in Garland, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,174 in Garland, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Garland, TX – a meal for two runs $53 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.