Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Goldsboro, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Goldsboro, NC: $1,866 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Goldsboro, NC
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Goldsboro, NC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Goldsboro, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$1,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Goldsboro, NC

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 Goldsboro, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,866 in Goldsboro, NC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Goldsboro, NC $1,866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,681 in Goldsboro, NC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Goldsboro, NC $2,681

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,496 in Goldsboro, NC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Goldsboro, NC $3,496

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 45% more expensive than in Goldsboro, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Goldsboro, NC 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$14.75 $14.75

39.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$52.3 $52.3

61.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.59 $9.59

25.86%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.33 $4.33

26.56%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.08 $2.08

82.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.60 $1.60

54.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.46 $3.46

132.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.95 $4.95

79.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.86 $0.86

29.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.52 $3.52

5.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.24 $3.24

4.01%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.91 $3.91

10.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.99 $12.99

1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.92 $8.92

58.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.84 $15.84

3.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.92 $3.92

16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.08 $2.08

-29.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.34 $3.34

41.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.18 $4.18

-0.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.34 $2.34

10.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.19 $3.19

-26.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.88 $1.88

-5.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.08 $2.08

2.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.23 $7.23

39.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.98 $13.98

8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.67 $1.67

68.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.93 $2.93

17.41%

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

$1.95 $1.95

43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.36 $2.36

-32.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$18.30 $18.30

87.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.72 $0.72

30.56%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$25.4K $25.4K

33.58%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.3K $23.3K

14.99%

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

$223 $223

$120 $120

85.62%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$48.77 $48.77

20.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$44.78 $44.78

57.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$45.64 $45.64

26.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.23 $12.23

16.60%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$772 $772

95.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$12.2K $12.2K

70.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$37.17 $37.17

18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$70.5 $70.5

23.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$69.4 $69.4

50.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,229 $1,229

57.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$868 $868

51.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,702 $1,702

115.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,267 $1,267

102.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,758 $1,758

318.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,748 $1,748

79.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,448 $5,448

-2.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.32

7.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Goldsboro, NC: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Goldsboro, NC

$868 46.5% 34.1% $449

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Goldsboro, NC

$358 19.2% 11.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Goldsboro, NC

$213 11.4% 39.4% $139

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Goldsboro, NC

$241 12.9% 31.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Goldsboro, NC

$103 5.5% 20.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Goldsboro, NC

$70 3.8% 18.7% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Goldsboro, NC

$14 * 0.7% 76.2% $44

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 $1,229 in Goldsboro, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Goldsboro, NC pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $52.0 in Goldsboro, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $358 per month, with Goldsboro, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Goldsboro, NC

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

23:56 11:56 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

38,203

💱 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 Goldsboro, NC 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Goldsboro, NC

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 Goldsboro, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Goldsboro, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Goldsboro, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Goldsboro, NC. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,229 in Goldsboro, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $772 in Goldsboro, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Goldsboro, NC – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,866 in Goldsboro, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Goldsboro, NC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Goldsboro, NC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Goldsboro, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.