Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Golden, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,466 in Golden, CO, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Golden, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Golden, CO
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Golden, CO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Golden, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Golden, CO

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 Golden, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,466 in Golden, CO.

Austin, TX $2,698
Golden, CO $3,466

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,184 in Golden, CO.

Austin, TX $4,160
Golden, CO $3,184

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,903 in Golden, CO.

Austin, TX $5,622
Golden, CO $2,903

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 22% less than in Golden, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Golden, CO 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.35 $20.35

1.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$66.4 $66.4

27.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.87 $11.87

1.68%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.38 $5.38

1.86%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.70 $2.70

40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.97 $1.97

25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.89 $5.89

36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.21 $7.21

23.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.91 $0.91

21.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.27 $3.27

13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.34 $4.34

-22.35%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.02 $3.02

43.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$15.08 $15.08

-12.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.68 $13.68

3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.39 $17.39

-6.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.48 $5.48

-16.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.33 $1.33

9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.50 $4.50

4.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.62 $4.62

-10.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.42 $2.42

6.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.60 $2.60

-9.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.40 $2.40

-26.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.97 $1.97

8.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.09 $10.09

0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$19.31 $19.31

-21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.32 $3.32

-15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.73 $4.73

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.68 $2.68

-42.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.80 $3.80

-26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.42 $1.42

12.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.66 $24.66

39.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 $1.02

-7.84%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

22.10%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.35%

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

$223 $223

$200 $200

11.45%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$93.5 $93.5

-37.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.9 $70.9

-0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$60.4 $60.4

-4.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.20 $15.20

-6.18%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,520 $1,520

-0.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.8K $24.8K

-15.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$57.7 $57.7

-11.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$24.77 $24.77

78.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$82.3 $82.3

5.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,266 $2,266

-14.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,119 $2,119

-37.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.72

1.04%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Golden, CO: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Golden, CO

$2.1K 61.1% 61% $803

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Golden, CO

$424 12.2% 4.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Golden, CO

$364 10.5% 3.4% $12

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Golden, CO

$326 9.4% 7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Golden, CO

$121 3.5% 6.4% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Golden, CO

$91 2.6% 5.3% $4.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Golden, CO

$22 * 0.6% 62.6% $36

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 $2,266 in Golden, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $66.0 in Golden, CO. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $424, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Golden, CO

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

20,399

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Golden, CO 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Golden, CO

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 Golden, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Golden, CO. 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 $4,046 in Austin, TX and $5,199 in Golden, CO 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $2,266 in Golden, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,520 in Golden, CO. 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 $85.0 versus $66.0 in Golden, CO. 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Golden, CO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Golden, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.