Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hickory, NC: $2,078 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Hickory, NC
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Hickory, NC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Hickory, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,078

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,078 in Hickory, NC.

Austin, TX $2,607
Hickory, NC $2,078

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $2,962 in Hickory, NC.

Austin, TX $4,031
Hickory, NC $2,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $3,847 in Hickory, NC.

Austin, TX $5,454
Hickory, NC $3,847

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Hickory, NC 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$15.01 $15.01

35.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$61.7 $61.7

37.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.03 $11.03

9.88%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.00 $5.00

13.00%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.23 $2.23

65.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.57 $1.57

50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.46 $5.46

44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.79 $6.79

29.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.85 $0.85

34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.65 $3.65

1.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.12 $3.12

6.09%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.43 $3.43

20.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.74 $10.74

20.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.98 $8.98

54.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.00 $17.00

-3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.99 $3.99

17.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.75 $1.75

-17.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.35 $2.35

117.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.75 $1.75

158.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.38 $2.38

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.25 $3.25

-26.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.79 $1.79

0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.11 $2.11

5.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.00 $9.00

10.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.93 $14.93

0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.66 $1.66

75.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.93 $2.93

13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$44.59 $44.59

-9.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.98 $1.98

40.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.27 $2.27

-27.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$17.72 $17.72

99.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.82 $0.82

15.85%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.0K $27.0K

26.51%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.86%

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

$223 $223

$141 $141

58.58%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.9 $59.9

-2.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$54.1 $54.1

31.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$27.46 $27.46

93.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.27 $14.27

-1.47%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$354 $354

312.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

-15.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$40.75 $40.75

28.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$20.24 $20.24

111.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$39.51 $39.51

118.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$49.94 $49.94

107.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,299 $1,299

62.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,030 $1,030

19.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,688 $1,688

128.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,522 $1,522

58.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,141 $2,141

246.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,163 $2,163

41.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,526 $4,526

14.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

5.53

23.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hickory, NC: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Hickory, NC

$1K 49.6% 16.3% $201

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Hickory, NC

$338 16.3% 17.5% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Hickory, NC

$255 12.3% 27.8% $98

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Hickory, NC

$269 13% 22.7% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Hickory, NC

$68 3.3% 47.3% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Hickory, NC

$56 2.7% 31% $25

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Hickory, NC

$63 3% 11.2% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,299 in Hickory, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 14% 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 in Austin, TX vs $62 in Hickory, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $338 per month, with Hickory, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Hickory, NC

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

19:46 7:46 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

40,374

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Hickory, NC 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hickory, 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 Hickory, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hickory, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hickory, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $1,299 in Hickory, NC. 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 $2,078 in Hickory, NC – Hickory, NC is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 9% less than in Hickory, NC. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

For families, Hickory, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Hickory, 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.