Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Idaho Falls, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Idaho Falls, ID: $2,315 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Idaho Falls, ID
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Idaho Falls, ID Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Idaho Falls, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Idaho Falls, ID

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 Idaho Falls, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,315 in Idaho Falls, ID.

Austin, TX $2,607
Idaho Falls, ID $2,315

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,380 in Idaho Falls, ID.

Austin, TX $4,031
Idaho Falls, ID $3,380

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,446 in Idaho Falls, ID.

Austin, TX $5,454
Idaho Falls, ID $4,446

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Idaho Falls, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Idaho Falls, ID 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.72 $17.72

14.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$51.9 $51.9

63.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.09 $10.09

20.12%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.02 $5.02

12.55%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.27 $2.27

62.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.55 $1.55

52.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.11 $4.11

91.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.10 $7.10

24.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.72 $0.72

58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.92 $3.92

-5.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.97 $2.97

11.45%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.12 $4.12

0.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.68 $11.68

11.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$6.41 $6.41

116.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$9.79 $9.79

66.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.18 $2.18

115.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.26 $1.26

15.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.07 $2.07

146.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.14 $2.14

111.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.68 $1.68

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.46 $2.46

-3.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.86 $1.86

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.88 $1.88

18.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.36 $10.36

-3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.34 $7.34

105.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.77 $1.77

64.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.53 $1.53

117.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.05 $3.05

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.53 $2.53

9.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.35 $2.35

-29.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$25.09 $25.09

41.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 $1.11

-14.41%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.3K $34.3K

-0.24%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.36%

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

$223 $223

$173 $173

29.12%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$52.7 $52.7

10.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$63.9 $63.9

11.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$38.67 $38.67

37.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.42 $11.42

23.12%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$957 $957

52.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$20.6K $20.6K

3.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$41.75 $41.75

25.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$44.87 $44.87

-4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$70.2 $70.2

23.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$96.4 $96.4

7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,323 $1,323

59.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,266 $1,266

-2.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,073 $2,073

86.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,207 $2,207

9.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,923 $1,923

286.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,946 $1,946

57.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,499 $3,499

48.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.12

11.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Idaho Falls, ID: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Idaho Falls, ID

$1.3K 54.7% 2.9% $35

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Idaho Falls, ID

$275 11.9% 32.8% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Idaho Falls, ID

$289 12.5% 18% $63

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Idaho Falls, ID

$282 12.2% 18.9% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Idaho Falls, ID

$114 4.9% 11.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Idaho Falls, ID

$62 2.7% 24.2% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Idaho Falls, ID

$26 * 1.1% 53.2% $30

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,323 in Idaho Falls, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $52 in Idaho Falls, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $275 per month, with Idaho Falls, ID cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Idaho Falls, ID

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

12:06 12:06 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

61,459

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Idaho Falls, ID 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Idaho Falls, ID

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 Idaho Falls, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Idaho Falls, ID wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Idaho Falls, ID the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% 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 $1,323 in Idaho Falls, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $957 in Idaho Falls, ID. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Idaho Falls, ID – a meal for two runs $52 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Idaho Falls, ID 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 – Idaho Falls, ID wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.