Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Houma, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Houma, LA: $2,055 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Houma, LA
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Houma, LA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Houma, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Houma, LA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,055 in Houma, LA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Houma, LA $2,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,001 in Houma, LA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Houma, LA $3,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,947 in Houma, LA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Houma, LA $3,947

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 31% more expensive than in Houma, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Houma, LA 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.60 $19.60

5.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$50.2 $50.2

68.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.82 $11.82

2.12%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.28 $5.28

3.79%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.22 $2.22

71.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.66 $1.66

48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.07 $3.07

162.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.99 $4.99

77.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.13 $1.13

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.79 $3.79

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.96 $4.96

-32.06%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.72 $1.72

151.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.47 $10.47

25.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.28 $10.28

37.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.82 $14.82

10.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.16 $5.16

-11.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.30 $1.30

12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.44 $5.44

-13.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.07 $4.07

1.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.10 $2.10

22.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.15 $3.15

-25.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.96 $1.96

-9.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.63 $2.63

-18.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.54 $8.54

18.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.97 $12.97

17.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.45 $2.45

15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.82 $3.82

-9.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.40 $3.40

-17.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 $1.52

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$34.69 $34.69

-1.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.91 $0.91

3.30%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$33.1K $33.1K

2.66%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.08%

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

$223 $223

$153 $153

45.89%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$72.6 $72.6

-18.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$47.20 $47.20

49.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$27.68 $27.68

108.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.57 $12.57

13.44%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,548 $1,548

-2.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$10.1K $10.1K

106.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$56.3 $56.3

-8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.72 $43.72

1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$88.0 $88.0

-1.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-13.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,075 $1,075

80.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$907 $907

45.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,584 $1,584

131.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,457 $1,457

76.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,462 $1,462

403.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,473 $1,473

112.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,692 $3,692

43.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

69.75%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Houma, LA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Houma, LA

$907 44.1% 31.1% $409

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Houma, LA

$377 18.3% 7.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Houma, LA

$272 13.3% 22.6% $80

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Houma, LA

$297 14.4% 15.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Houma, LA

$139 6.8% 7.5% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Houma, LA

$53 2.6% 38.7% $33

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Houma, LA

$11 * 0.5% 81% $47

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 $1,075 in Houma, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 43% 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 $50.0 in Houma, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $377 per month, with Houma, LA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Houma, LA

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

32,657

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Houma, LA 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Houma, LA

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 Houma, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Houma, LA wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Houma, LA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 43% 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 $1,075 in Houma, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,548 in Houma, LA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Houma, LA – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,055 in Houma, LA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Houma, LA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Houma, LA 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 Houma, LA 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 Houma, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.