Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Grand Island, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Island, NE: $2,620 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, TX despite lower rent and utilities.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Grand Island, NE
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Grand Island, NE Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Grand Island, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Grand Island, NE

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 Grand Island, NE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,620 in Grand Island, NE.

Austin, TX $2,689
Grand Island, NE $2,620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,811 in Grand Island, NE.

Austin, TX $4,112
Grand Island, NE $3,811

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,002 in Grand Island, NE.

Austin, TX $5,534
Grand Island, NE $5,002

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in Grand Island, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Grand Island, NE 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$18.79 $18.79

13.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$75.2 $75.2

16.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$10.87 $10.87

14.44%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.98 $4.98

12.45%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.51 $2.51

45.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.94 $1.94

23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.87 $5.87

33.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$6.86 $6.86

27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.00 $1.00

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.45 $3.45

4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.23 $4.23

-17.26%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.06 $4.06

9.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$12.24 $12.24

7.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$11.65 $11.65

19.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$15.63 $15.63

5.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.76 $4.76

-0.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.56 $1.56

-3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.32 $4.32

7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.73 $4.73

-4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.78 $2.78

-8.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.86 $2.86

-16.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.03 $2.03

-9.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.17 $2.17

-1.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.68 $9.68

3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.25 $14.25

4.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.80 $1.80

56.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.38 $3.38

-2.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.95 $1.95

-36.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$58.8 $58.8

-29.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.48 $3.48

-22.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.59 $1.59

2.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$28.78 $28.78

22.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.83 $0.83

18.07%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$29.2K $29.2K

17.64%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

5.58%

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

$252 $252

$190 $190

32.73%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$51.9 $51.9

15.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$66.2 $66.2

5.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$42.38 $42.38

42.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$13.29 $13.29

3.46%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,313 $1,313

11.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.8K $23.8K

11.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$51.6 $51.6

1.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$40.24 $40.24

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$87.7 $87.7

-2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$110 $110

-4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,615 $1,615

35.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,345 $1,345

-5.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,598 $2,598

53.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,180 $2,180

10.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,798 $2,798

163.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,492 $2,492

18.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.51

4.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Grand Island, NE: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Grand Island, NE

$1.3K 51.3% 6% $76

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Grand Island, NE

$386 14.7% 5.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Grand Island, NE

$308 11.8% 19.3% $74

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Grand Island, NE

$304 11.6% 14.8% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Grand Island, NE

$130 5% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Grand Island, NE

$69 2.6% 21.5% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Grand Island, NE

$78 3% 36.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,615 in Grand Island, NE. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $75 in Grand Island, NE for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $386 per month, with Grand Island, NE cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Grand Island, NE

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

44,632

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Grand Island, NE 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Grand Island, NE

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 Grand Island, NE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Island, NE wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Grand Island, NE the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,034 in Austin, TX and $3,930 in Grand Island, NE 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,615 in Grand Island, NE. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,620 in Grand Island, NE – Grand Island, NE is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 30% less than in Grand Island, NE. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Grand Island, NE 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.