Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Great Falls, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Great Falls, MT: $2,223 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
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Great Falls, MT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,223 in Great Falls, MT.

Austin, TX $2,689
Great Falls, MT $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,105 in Great Falls, MT.

Austin, TX $4,112
Great Falls, MT $3,105

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $3,987 in Great Falls, MT.

Austin, TX $5,534
Great Falls, MT $3,987

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 21% more expensive than in Great Falls, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Great Falls, MT 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$15.08 $15.08

41.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$39.24 $39.24

123.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.70 $9.70

28.25%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.38 $4.38

27.85%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.45 $2.45

48.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.95 $1.95

22.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.97 $5.97

30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$6.09 $6.09

43.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.11 $1.11

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.33 $3.33

8.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$5.00 $5.00

-30.00%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.27 $3.27

36.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$16.62 $16.62

-20.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$10.19 $10.19

36.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$12.15 $12.15

35.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.96 $4.96

-4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.40 $1.40

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.14 $4.14

12.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.21 $2.21

104.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.39 $2.39

6.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.91 $2.91

-17.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.40 $2.40

-23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.27 $3.27

-34.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$8.47 $8.47

18.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$17.94 $17.94

-17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.01 $2.01

40.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.43 $4.43

-25.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$29.78 $29.78

39.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$6.16 $6.16

-56.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.35 $1.35

20.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$39.70 $39.70

-11.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$32.7K $32.7K

5.06%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.1K $24.1K

11.32%

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

$252 $252

$131 $131

92.73%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$39.45 $39.45

51.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$68.4 $68.4

1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$63.4 $63.4

-4.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$11.57 $11.57

18.84%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$927 $927

57.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$17.7K $17.7K

50.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$25.14 $25.14

109.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$29.60 $29.60

54.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$80.7 $80.7

5.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$64.4 $64.4

64.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,420 $1,420

54.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,111 $1,111

14.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,626 $2,626

52.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,655 $1,655

45.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,207 $2,207

234.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,205 $2,205

34.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,555 $3,555

41.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.2

10.00%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Great Falls, MT: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 50% 12.5% $158

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Great Falls, MT

$392 17.7% 3.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Great Falls, MT

$239 10.7% 37.5% $143

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Great Falls, MT

$262 11.8% 26.5% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1% 31% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9% 1.5% $1.3

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9% 25.3% $14

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,420 in Great Falls, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $39 in Great Falls, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $392 per month, with Great Falls, MT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🕒 Local time

20:34 8:34 PM

19:34 7:34 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

60,442

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Great Falls, MT 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Great Falls, MT wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Great Falls, MT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,420 in Great Falls, MT. 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 $2,223 in Great Falls, MT – Great Falls, MT is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Great Falls, MT runs roughly 28% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Great Falls, MT 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.

Expats usually find Great Falls, MT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.