Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hertfordshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Hertfordshire: $2,541 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, TX despite lower rent and utilities.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Hertfordshire
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,541
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,541 in Hertfordshire.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Hertfordshire $2,541

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,780 in Hertfordshire.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Hertfordshire $3,780

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $5,020 in Hertfordshire.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Hertfordshire $5,020

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Hertfordshire 90% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Hertfordshire
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$26.32 £19.88
-23.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$79.8 £60.2
6.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$10.61 £8.01
16.40%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$4.94 £3.73
10.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$2.37 £1.79
61.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$2.00 £1.51
25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$5.56 £4.20
44.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$5.38 £4.06
67.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Hertfordshire
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.52 £1.15
-25.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$1.83 £1.39
106.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.66 £2.01
22.18%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$3.59 £2.71
15.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$7.96 £6.01
64.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$7.27 £5.49
96.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$16.30 £12.31
-2.09%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$3.32 £2.50
31.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.54 £1.16
-5.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$3.02 £2.28
50.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$3.49 £2.63
20.06%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.16 £0.88
126.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.74 £1.32
35.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.24 £0.93
41.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.58 £1.19
36.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$21.24 £16.05
-53.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$9.89 £7.47
48.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.00 £1.51
39.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$2.04 £1.54
70.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Hertfordshire
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$3.53 £2.67
-57.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$87.2 £65.8
-53.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$4.07 £3.07
-34.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$3.90 £2.95
-59.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$31.65 £23.90
11.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.98 £1.50
-50.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$37.8K £28.5K
-5.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$40.6K £30.7K
-33.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Hertfordshire
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$161 £121
36.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$17.68 £13.35
228.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$44.41 £33.54
53.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Hertfordshire
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$46.26 £34.95
25.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$13.32 £10.06
6.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Hertfordshire
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$1,565 £1,182
-3.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$20.2K £15.3K
6.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Hertfordshire
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$46.38 £35.03
11.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$39.51 £29.84
11.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$73.3 £55.4
16.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$110 £82.9
-4.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Hertfordshire
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$1,752 £1,323
10.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$1,334 £1,008
-4.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$2,862 £2,162
28.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$2,352 £1,776
7.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$4,907 £3,706
55.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$3,922 £2,963
-18.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Hertfordshire
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$3,204 £2,420
59.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.21
30.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Hertfordshire: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Hertfordshire
$1.3K 4.9% $62
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Hertfordshire
$288 28.6% $115
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Hertfordshire
$358 2.8% $9.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Hertfordshire
$223 35.5% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Hertfordshire
$121 6% $7.7
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Hertfordshire
$73 15.4% $13
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Hertfordshire
$125 119% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,752 in Hertfordshire. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 59% 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 $80.0 in Hertfordshire for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $288 per month, with Hertfordshire cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇬🇧 Hertfordshire
🕒 Local time
12:19 12:19 PM
18:19 6:19 PM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
33,990
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 0.755 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.846 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Hertfordshire 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Hertfordshire

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 Hertfordshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Hertfordshire?
Hertfordshire 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 Hertfordshire the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Hertfordshire?
Average pay runs 59% 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 Hertfordshire?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,752 in Hertfordshire. 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 Hertfordshire?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,541 in Hertfordshire – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Hertfordshire?
A monthly transit pass in Hertfordshire runs roughly 115% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Austin, TX or in Hertfordshire?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Hertfordshire is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Hertfordshire?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Hertfordshire?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Hertfordshire are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Hertfordshire 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.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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