Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Houston, MO

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Houston, MO: $2,698 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
Learn more

Houston, MO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Houston, MO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,698 in Houston, MO.

Austin, TX $2,663
Houston, MO $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,946 in Houston, MO.

Austin, TX $4,133
Houston, MO $3,946

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,195 in Houston, MO.

Austin, TX $5,603
Houston, MO $5,195

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 1% less than in Houston, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Houston, MO 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.96 $17.96

14.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$78.0 $78.0

8.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.87 $11.87

1.68%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.20 $5.20

5.38%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.35 $2.35

61.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.69 $1.69

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.59 $5.59

44.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.20 $7.20

23.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.24 $1.24

-10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.75 $3.75

-0.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.62 $5.62

-40.04%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.05 $4.05

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.42 $13.42

-2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$15.45 $15.45

-8.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$20.46 $20.46

-20.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$8.25 $8.25

-44.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.40 $2.40

-39.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.69 $5.69

-17.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.35 $5.35

-22.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.19 $4.19

-38.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.98 $4.98

-52.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.77 $2.77

-36.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.85 $2.85

-24.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.25 $8.25

22.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.94 $14.94

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.90 $2.90

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.28 $3.28

4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.90 $1.90

-18.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.55 $3.55

-21.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.57 $1.57

1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$40.60 $40.60

-15.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.93 $0.93

1.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

20.22%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.34%

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

$223 $223

$239 $239

-6.94%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$69.9 $69.9

-15.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$76.3 $76.3

-7.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$44.69 $44.69

29.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.96 $13.96

2.15%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,406 $1,406

7.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.4K $23.4K

-10.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$58.8 $58.8

-12.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.65 $40.65

8.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$89.9 $89.9

-3.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$119 $119

-12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,361 $1,361

42.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,290 $1,290

2.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,511 $2,511

45.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,115 $2,115

21.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,461 $2,461

198.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,601 $2,601

20.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.72

1.04%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Houston, MO: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Houston, MO

$1.3K 47.8% 2% $26

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Houston, MO

$491 18.2% 21.1% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Houston, MO

$386 14.3% 9.5% $33

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Houston, MO

$300 11.1% 14.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Houston, MO

$139 5.2% 7.7% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Houston, MO

$73 2.7% 15.8% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Houston, MO

$19 * 0.7% 67.2% $39

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,361 in Houston, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $78.0 in Houston, MO. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $491, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🕒 Local time

04:59 4:59 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,304,580

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Houston, MO 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Houston, MO

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 Houston, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Houston, MO. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $4,047 in Houston, MO to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,361 in Houston, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,406 in Houston, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $78.0 in Houston, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.