Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hearst

For one person, living is cheaper in Hearst: $2,210 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Hearst
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Hearst Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Hearst

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,210 in Hearst.

Austin, TX $2,698
Hearst $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,203 in Hearst.

Austin, TX $4,160
Hearst $3,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,197 in Hearst.

Austin, TX $5,622
Hearst $4,197

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 22% more expensive than in Hearst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Hearst 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.35 CA$24.53

18.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$66.0 CA$93.4

28.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.67 CA$15.09

13.12%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.60 CA$5.09

52.22%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.01 CA$2.83

89.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.55 CA$2.20

59.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.18 CA$7.32

55.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.58 CA$7.88

59.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.09 CA$2.95

-46.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.55 CA$3.60

45.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.29 CA$4.65

2.43%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.34 CA$4.73

29.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.67 CA$13.67

35.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.53 CA$16.30

22.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.25 CA$20.15

14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.78 CA$5.35

20.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.26 CA$1.78

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.63 CA$5.13

29.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.67 CA$5.18

13.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.49 CA$3.52

3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.17 CA$3.06

8.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.48 CA$3.51

-28.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.57 CA$2.22

36.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$13.89 CA$19.63

-27.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.84 CA$18.15

18.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.61 CA$3.70

8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.09 CA$4.37

11.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.24 CA$3.17

-31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$62.3 CA$88.0

-34.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.79 CA$3.95

0.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.40 CA$1.98

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$22.95 CA$32.44

49.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.14 CA$1.61

-17.54%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.9K CA$39.4K

21.98%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

41.79%

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

$223 $223

$132 CA$186

69.15%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$38.55 CA$54.5

52.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$54.4 CA$77.0

29.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.47 CA$57.2

42.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$17.81 CA$25.18

-7.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.12 CA$15.72

28.24%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$748 CA$1,057

102.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$13.1K CA$18.5K

60.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$53.7 CA$75.9

-4.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$38.42 CA$54.3

14.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$83.4 CA$118

4.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$103 CA$145

1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,220 CA$1,724

59.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,104 CA$1,560

19.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,918 CA$2,711

91.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,687 CA$2,384

52.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$4,145 CA$5,860

77.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$3,557 CA$5,028

-12.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,120 CA$4,410

69.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.66

45.71%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hearst: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Hearst

$1.1K 49.9% 16.2% $213

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Hearst

$347 15.7% 14.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Hearst

$225 10.2% 36.2% $128

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Hearst

$265 12% 24.2% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Hearst

$125 5.7% 3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Hearst

$63 2.8% 27.3% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Hearst

$81 3.7% 39.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,220 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 69% 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 $66.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $347 per month, with Hearst cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Hearst

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

11:31 11:31 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Hearst 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hearst

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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hearst wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hearst the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% 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 $1,220 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,210 in Hearst – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hearst runs roughly 52% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,210 in Hearst versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hearst but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Hearst 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.

Expats usually find Hearst gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.