Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Indianapolis, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Indianapolis, IN
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Indianapolis, IN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Indianapolis, IN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,684 in Indianapolis, IN.

Austin, TX $2,607
Indianapolis, IN $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,851 in Indianapolis, IN.

Austin, TX $4,031
Indianapolis, IN $3,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,019 in Indianapolis, IN.

Austin, TX $5,454
Indianapolis, IN $5,019

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 3% less than in Indianapolis, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Indianapolis, IN 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.99 $19.99

1.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$79.7 $79.7

6.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.89 $11.89

1.93%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.31 $3.31

11.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.64 $2.64

-10.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.18 $6.18

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.06 $8.06

9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.86 $0.86

32.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.27 $3.27

12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.64 $4.64

-28.66%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.74 $3.74

10.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.44 $12.44

4.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.47 $12.47

11.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.35 $17.35

-5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.58 $5.58

-15.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.47 $1.47

-1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.96 $4.96

3.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.22 $4.22

7.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.52 $2.52

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.91 $2.91

-18.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.43 $2.43

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.54 $2.54

-12.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.45 $11.45

-12.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.56 $15.56

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.00 $2.00

45.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.59 $3.59

-7.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.76 $1.76

-30.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$60.6 $60.6

-33.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.05 $2.05

35.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.69 $1.69

-2.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$33.96 $33.96

4.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.93 $0.93

2.15%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.7K $30.7K

11.24%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.07%

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

$223 $223

$234 $234

-4.80%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$61.2 $61.2

-4.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$64.5 $64.5

10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$36.87 $36.87

43.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$41.90 $41.90

-60.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.80 $14.80

-5.00%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,736 $1,736

-15.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$24.5K $24.5K

-12.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$56.5 $56.5

-7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$44.97 $44.97

-4.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$112 $112

-22.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$143 $143

-27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,651 $1,651

27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,278 $1,278

-3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,666 $2,666

44.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,909 $1,909

26.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,768 $2,768

168.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,751 $1,751

74.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,222 $4,222

22.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.57

3.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Indianapolis, IN

$1.3K 47.6% 3.9% $48

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Indianapolis, IN

$406 15.1% 0.9% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Indianapolis, IN

$360 13.4% 2.1% $7.3

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Indianapolis, IN

$334 12.5% 4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Indianapolis, IN

$161 6% 25% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Indianapolis, IN

$66 2.5% 18.1% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Indianapolis, IN

$78 2.9% 38.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $80 in Indianapolis, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $406 per month, with Indianapolis, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

882,039

💱 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 Indianapolis, IN 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Indianapolis, IN

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 Indianapolis, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Indianapolis, IN. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% 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 $1,651 in Indianapolis, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,736 in Indianapolis, IN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Indianapolis, IN – a meal for two runs $80 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.