Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Harrisonburg, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Harrisonburg, VA: $2,461 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Harrisonburg, VA
Learn more

Harrisonburg, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Harrisonburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Harrisonburg, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,461 in Harrisonburg, VA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Harrisonburg, VA $2,461

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,283 in Harrisonburg, VA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Harrisonburg, VA $3,283

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,105 in Harrisonburg, VA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Harrisonburg, VA $4,105

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Harrisonburg, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Harrisonburg, VA 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$23.40 $23.40

-13.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$67.3 $67.3

25.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$8.94 $8.94

35.57%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.02 $5.02

12.55%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.64 $2.64

39.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.06 $2.06

14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.98 $6.98

12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.08 $8.08

9.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.89 $0.89

28.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.11 $3.11

18.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.90 $3.90

-15.13%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.48 $5.48

-24.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.84 $9.84

31.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$7.67 $7.67

80.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.93 $18.93

-13.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.93 $3.93

19.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.96 $3.96

29.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.56 $3.56

26.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.46 $2.46

25.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.22 $2.22

7.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.43 $2.43

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.06 $2.06

7.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$6.79 $6.79

46.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.62 $11.62

29.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.97 $1.97

47.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.74 $2.74

21.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.99 $1.99

-38.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$25.19 $25.19

60.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.52 $2.52

10.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.56 $1.56

5.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$22.52 $22.52

57.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.92 $0.92

3.26%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

25.33%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.08%

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

$223 $223

$136 $136

64.51%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$61.7 $61.7

-5.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$72.2 $72.2

-1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$44.83 $44.83

18.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.26 $15.26

-7.86%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$799 $799

82.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$30.5K $30.5K

-29.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$71.2 $71.2

-26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$45.30 $45.30

-5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$88.8 $88.8

-2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$109 $109

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,281 $1,281

64.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,238 $1,238

-0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,836 $1,836

110.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,372 $1,372

75.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,223 $2,223

234.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,213 $2,213

38.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,198 $4,198

23.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.49

5.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Harrisonburg, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Harrisonburg, VA

$1.2K 50.3% 0.6% $7.1

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Harrisonburg, VA

$349 14.2% 14.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Harrisonburg, VA

$269 11% 23.6% $83

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Harrisonburg, VA

$344 14% 1.2% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Harrisonburg, VA

$142 5.8% 10.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Harrisonburg, VA

$75 3.1% 7.2% $5.8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Harrisonburg, VA

$43 1.8% 23% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,281 in Harrisonburg, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 23% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $67 in Harrisonburg, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $349 per month, with Harrisonburg, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Harrisonburg, VA

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

54,215

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Harrisonburg, VA 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Harrisonburg, VA

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 Harrisonburg, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harrisonburg, VA wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Harrisonburg, VA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,281 in Harrisonburg, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,461 in Harrisonburg, VA – Harrisonburg, VA is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Harrisonburg, VA runs roughly 38% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Harrisonburg, VA gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Harrisonburg, VA 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.

Expats usually find Harrisonburg, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.