Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Iowa City, IA: $2,251 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,251 in Iowa City, IA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Iowa City, IA $2,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,264 in Iowa City, IA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Iowa City, IA $3,264

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,276 in Iowa City, IA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Iowa City, IA $4,276

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 16% more expensive than in Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Iowa City, IA 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$15.12 $15.12

34.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$67.3 $67.3

25.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.03 $9.03

34.22%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.54 $5.54

1.99%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.77 $2.77

32.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.23 $2.23

5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.86 $4.86

61.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.13 $7.13

23.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.92 $0.92

23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.79 $2.79

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.02 $2.02

63.86%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.71 $3.71

11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.43 $9.43

37.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.64 $10.64

30.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.95 $19.95

-18.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.37 $3.37

39.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.22 $1.22

18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.65 $2.65

92.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.87 $4.87

-7.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.98 $1.98

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.36 $2.36

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.71 $1.71

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.38 $2.38

-6.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.13 $10.13

-1.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.70 $13.70

9.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.72 $1.72

69.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.54 $4.54

-26.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.91 $3.91

-28.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.97 $1.97

-16.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$43.67 $43.67

-18.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.99 $0.99

-4.04%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

25.83%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.82%

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

$223 $223

$271 $271

-17.85%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$51.5 $51.5

13.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$81.6 $81.6

-12.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$29.80 $29.80

77.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$19.65 $19.65

-14.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.86 $13.86

1.44%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,292 $1,292

12.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.7K $23.7K

-10.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$64.4 $64.4

-18.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$49.68 $49.68

-13.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$98.6 $98.6

-12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$115 $115

-9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,242 $1,242

69.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,003 $1,003

22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,933 $1,933

99.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,637 $1,637

47.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,514 $3,514

111.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,811 $1,811

69.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,822 $3,822

35.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.45

5.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Iowa City, IA

$1K 44.6% 18.5% $228

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Iowa City, IA

$352 15.6% 14.2% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Iowa City, IA

$404 18% 14.7% $52

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Iowa City, IA

$273 12.1% 21.6% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Iowa City, IA

$147 6.6% 14.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Iowa City, IA

$58 2.6% 29.1% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Iowa City, IA

$14 * 0.6% 75.6% $43

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 $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $67 in Iowa City, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $352 per month, with Iowa City, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

74,828

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Iowa City, IA 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iowa City, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Iowa City, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% 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 $1,242 in Iowa City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,292 in Iowa City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Iowa City, IA – a meal for two runs $67 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,251 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Iowa City, IA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Iowa City, IA 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.

It comes down to priorities – Iowa City, IA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.