Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Greensboro, NC: $2,276 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX, United States
Greensboro, NC, United States
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
Greensboro, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,276
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Greensboro, 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 Greensboro, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,276 in Greensboro, NC.

  • Austin, TX $2,607
  • Greensboro, NC $2,276

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,355 in Greensboro, NC.

  • Austin, TX $4,031
  • Greensboro, NC $3,355

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,434 in Greensboro, NC.

  • Austin, TX $5,454
  • Greensboro, NC $4,434

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than in Greensboro, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Greensboro, NC 67% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Greensboro, NC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.35 $20.35
$18.20 $18.20
11.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.7 $84.7
$69.2 $69.2
22.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 $12.12
$12.31 $12.31
-1.54%
Cappuccino
$5.65 $5.65
$4.99 $4.99
13.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 $3.68
$2.24 $2.24
64.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.64 $1.64
43.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.87 $7.87
$5.95 $5.95
32.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.82 $8.82
$6.77 $6.77
30.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Greensboro, NC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$0.87 $0.87
31.03%
White Bread (500g)
$3.69 $3.69
$3.77 $3.77
-2.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$3.16 $3.16
4.75%
Eggs
$4.15 $4.15
$3.71 $3.71
11.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.98 $12.98
$12.76 $12.76
1.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.86 $13.86
$8.76 $8.76
58.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.34 $16.34
$17.17 $17.17
-4.83%
Apples (1kg)
$4.69 $4.69
$4.01 $4.01
16.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$2.30 $2.30
-36.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.11 $5.11
$4.25 $4.25
20.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.52 $4.52
$4.32 $4.32
4.63%
Potato (1kg)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.42 $2.42
27.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 $2.38
$3.31 $3.31
-28.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 $1.80
$1.88 $1.88
-4.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.19 $2.19
1.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.97 $9.97
$8.80 $8.80
13.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.05 $15.05
$14.77 $14.77
1.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 $2.91
$1.67 $1.67
74.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$2.94 $2.94
13.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Greensboro, NC
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.46 $1.46
-16.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.53 $40.53
$58.7 $58.7
-31.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.05 $2.05
35.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 $1.65
$2.29 $2.29
-27.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.39 $35.39
$17.91 $17.91
97.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.01 $1.01
-5.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K $34.2K
$27.0K $27.0K
26.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$26.1K $26.1K
2.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Greensboro, NC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$179 $179
24.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.5 $58.5
$68.5 $68.5
-14.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$61.9 $61.9
14.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Greensboro, NC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.0 $53.0
$34.60 $34.60
53.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.75 $16.75
$30.58 $30.58
-45.23%
Cinema Ticket
$14.06 $14.06
$13.98 $13.98
0.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Greensboro, NC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,459 $1,459
$757 $757
92.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K $21.3K
$25.4K $25.4K
-15.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Greensboro, NC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 $52.5
$50.9 $50.9
3.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.75 $42.75
$37.72 $37.72
13.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.4 $86.4
$71.3 $71.3
21.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$115 $115
-9.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Greensboro, NC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,112 $2,112
$1,934 $1,934
9.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,230 $1,230
$1,029 $1,029
19.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,863 $3,863
$3,284 $3,284
17.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,407 $2,407
$1,660 $1,660
45.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,426 $7,426
$2,190 $2,190
239.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,060 $3,060
$1,823 $1,823
67.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Greensboro, NC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,179 $5,179
$3,760 $3,760
37.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
6.32
7.91%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Greensboro, NC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.2K
Greensboro, NC
$1K 16.4% $201
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$410
Greensboro, NC
$371 9.4% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$353
Greensboro, NC
$310 12.1% $43
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Greensboro, NC
$301 13.5% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Greensboro, NC
$123 3.9% $5
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$81
Greensboro, NC
$63 22.9% $19
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$56
Greensboro, NC
$78 38.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,934 in Greensboro, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $69 in Greensboro, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $371 per month, with Greensboro, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇺🇸 Greensboro, NC
🕒 Local time
11:02 11:02 AM
12:02 12:02 PM
1 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
299,035
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Greensboro, NC 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Greensboro, 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 Greensboro, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Greensboro, NC?
Greensboro, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Greensboro, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Greensboro, NC?
Average pay runs 38% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Greensboro, NC?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,934 in Greensboro, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Greensboro, NC?
All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,276 in Greensboro, NC – Greensboro, NC is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Greensboro, NC?
A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 31% less than in Greensboro, NC. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Greensboro, NC?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Greensboro, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Greensboro, NC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Should I move to Austin, TX or to Greensboro, NC?
It comes down to priorities – Greensboro, NC wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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