Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hamilton, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton, MT: $2,151 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton, MT
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Hamilton, MT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Hamilton, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,151

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,151 in Hamilton, MT.

Austin, TX $2,698
Hamilton, MT $2,151

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,548 in Hamilton, MT.

Austin, TX $4,160
Hamilton, MT $3,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,944 in Hamilton, MT.

Austin, TX $5,622
Hamilton, MT $4,944

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 25% more expensive than in Hamilton, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Hamilton, MT 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$37.24 $37.24

-44.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$68.6 $68.6

23.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.45 $11.45

5.41%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.26 $5.26

4.18%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.71 $2.71

40.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.01 $2.01

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.07 $6.07

32.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.19 $7.19

23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.07 $1.07

3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.47 $3.47

7.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.93 $3.93

-14.25%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.28 $4.28

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$14.06 $14.06

-6.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.10 $12.10

16.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.29 $16.29

0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$6.14 $6.14

-25.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.31 $1.31

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.34 $4.34

8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.73 $4.73

-12.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.61 $2.61

-1.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.83 $2.83

-16.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.18 $2.18

-18.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.40 $2.40

-10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.30 $10.30

-1.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.74 $14.74

3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.91 $1.91

47.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.67 $3.67

-6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.01 $2.01

-23.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.28 $3.28

-14.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.54 $1.54

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$33.65 $33.65

2.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 $1.02

-7.84%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$25.4K $25.4K

33.56%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.32%

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

$223 $223

$201 $201

10.85%

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

$58.9 $58.9

0.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$89.0 $89.0

-20.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.62 $41.62

38.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.05 $12.05

18.34%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,308 $1,308

15.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

-18.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$52.5 $52.5

-2.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$46.30 $46.30

-4.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$90.0 $90.0

-3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$113 $113

-7.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,147 $1,147

69.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$717 $717

83.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,378 $2,378

54.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,826 $1,826

40.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,306 $2,306

218.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,405 $2,405

30.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,556 $3,556

48.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.29

-6.86%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hamilton, MT: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Hamilton, MT

$717 33.3% 45.6% $600

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Hamilton, MT

$407 18.9% 0.2% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Hamilton, MT

$349 16.2% 1% $3.4

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Hamilton, MT

$459 21.3% 31.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Hamilton, MT

$136 6.3% 5.1% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Hamilton, MT

$66 3.1% 23.8% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Hamilton, MT

$19 * 0.9% 67.2% $39

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 $1,147 in Hamilton, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $69.0 in Hamilton, MT. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $407, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Hamilton, MT

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

04:19 4:19 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

62,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Hamilton, MT 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hamilton, 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 Hamilton, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton, MT wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hamilton, MT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 49% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,147 in Hamilton, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,308 in Hamilton, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton, MT – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,151 in Hamilton, MT versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamilton, MT but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton, MT 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 Hamilton, MT 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 Hamilton, MT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.