Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Houston, TX: $2,607 and $2,625 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Houston, TX
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Houston, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Houston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,625 in Houston, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
Houston, TX $2,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,794 in Houston, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
Houston, TX $3,794

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,963 in Houston, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
Houston, TX $4,963

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Houston, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Houston, TX 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.40 $20.40

-0.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$75.1 $75.1

12.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.82 $9.82

23.42%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.24 $5.24

7.82%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.72 $2.72

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.25 $2.25

4.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.17 $6.17

27.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.95 $7.95

10.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.84 $0.84

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.24 $3.24

13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.10 $4.10

-19.27%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.25 $3.25

27.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.11 $11.11

16.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.65 $12.65

9.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.40 $16.40

-0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.12 $4.12

13.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.47 $1.47

-1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.05 $3.05

67.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.67 $3.67

23.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.19 $2.19

40.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.71 $2.71

-12.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.95 $1.95

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.50 $2.50

-11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.09 $10.09

-1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.47 $14.47

4.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.48 $2.48

17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.91 $2.91

14.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.26 $1.26

-3.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$74.4 $74.4

-45.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.85 $2.85

-2.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.48 $1.48

11.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.92 $23.92

47.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.97 $0.97

-2.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.4K $34.4K

-0.66%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.44%

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

$223 $223

$198 $198

12.71%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$65.2 $65.2

-10.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$75.3 $75.3

-5.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$35.73 $35.73

48.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$20.98 $20.98

-20.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.06 $15.06

-6.64%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,901 $1,901

-23.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$22.1K $22.1K

-3.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.81 $49.81

5.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$47.04 $47.04

-9.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$103 $103

-16.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$94.0 $94.0

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,742 $1,742

21.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,304 $1,304

-5.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,449 $3,449

11.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,057 $2,057

17.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,659 $2,659

179.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,785 $1,785

71.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,293 $4,293

20.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.7

1.79%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Houston, TX: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Houston, TX

$1.3K 49.7% 6% $73

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Houston, TX

$373 14.2% 9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Houston, TX

$338 12.9% 4% $14

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Houston, TX

$322 12.3% 7.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Houston, TX

$132 5% 3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Houston, TX

$66 2.5% 18.9% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Houston, TX

$90 3.4% 58.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,742 in Houston, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $75 in Houston, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $373 per month, with Houston, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Houston, TX

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,304,580

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Houston, TX 240 km

From you

Austin, TX
Houston, TX

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, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 21% 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 $1,742 in Houston, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,901 in Houston, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Houston, TX – a meal for two runs $75 versus $85 in Austin, TX. 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.