Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Grays

For one person, living is cheaper in Grays: $2,369 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Grays
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Grays Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Grays

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,369 in Grays.

Austin, TX $2,663
Grays $2,369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,403 in Grays.

Austin, TX $4,133
Grays $3,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,437 in Grays.

Austin, TX $5,603
Grays $4,437

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 12% more expensive than in Grays, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Grays 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$24.94 £18.71

-16.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$52.3 £39.24

61.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.98 £7.49

23.45%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.64 £3.48

21.34%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.86 £2.90

-3.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.32 £2.49

-24.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.40 £4.05

49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.88 £5.91

14.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.55 £1.16

-27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.47 £1.10

155.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.64 £1.23

98.78%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.41 £3.31

-5.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.06 £9.05

6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.17 £6.88

54.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.11 £11.33

7.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.95 £2.21

46.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.89 £1.42

-22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.82 £2.11

59.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.77 £2.83

15.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.20 £1.65

17.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.79 £1.35

31.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.18 £0.88

50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.43 £1.07

55.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$17.07 £12.80

-42.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.87 £8.16

38.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.04 £2.28

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.23 £2.42

7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.54 £2.66

-57.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$97.5 £73.1

-57.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.88 £3.66

-44.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.69 £2.02

-38.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$39.12 £29.35

-9.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.06 £1.54

-53.88%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$38.6K £29.0K

-6.63%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.9K £30.7K

-33.83%

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

$229 $229

$280 £210

-18.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$16.46 £12.35

260.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$44.70 £33.53

56.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$46.48 £34.87

23.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.16 £8.37

27.96%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,079 £1,559

-27.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$30.6K £23.0K

-29.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$90.9 £68.2

-41.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$44.44 £33.34

-1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$105 £78.4

-18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$88.0 £66.0

17.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,235 £926

54.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,012 £759

25.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,126 £1,595

72.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,634 £1,226

55.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,052 £3,790

50.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,847 £2,886

-17.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.12

32.62%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Grays: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Grays

$1K 42.7% 20.6% $262

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Grays

$313 13.2% 22.6% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Grays

$341 14.4% 4.9% $18

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Grays

$357 15.1% 0.8% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Grays

$148 6.2% 15.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Grays

$69 2.9% 19.8% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Grays

$130 5.5% 121% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,235 in Grays. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $52.0 in Grays for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $313 per month, with Grays cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Grays

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

36,601

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Grays 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Grays

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 Grays: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grays wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grays the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,553 in Grays 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,235 in Grays. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,369 in Grays – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Grays runs roughly 134% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,369 in Grays versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Grays but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Grays 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Grays 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 Grays gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.