Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Johnson City, TN: $2,138 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
Learn more

Johnson City, TN Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,138 in Johnson City, TN.

Austin, TX $2,607
Johnson City, TN $2,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,133 in Johnson City, TN.

Austin, TX $4,031
Johnson City, TN $3,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,129 in Johnson City, TN.

Austin, TX $5,454
Johnson City, TN $4,129

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 22% more expensive than in Johnson City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Johnson City, TN 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$13.78 $13.78

47.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$53.9 $53.9

57.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.88 $9.88

22.67%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.14 $5.14

9.92%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.88 $2.88

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.03 $2.03

16.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.93 $4.93

59.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.04 $6.04

46.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.98 $0.98

16.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.75 $3.75

-1.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.97 $3.97

-16.62%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.11 $3.11

33.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$7.53 $7.53

72.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.67 $13.67

1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.09 $13.09

24.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$7.59 $7.59

-38.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.73 $1.73

-16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.10 $4.10

24.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.65 $3.65

23.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.40 $3.40

-9.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.34 $4.34

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.20 $2.20

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.36 $2.36

-5.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.01 $9.01

10.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.14 $13.14

14.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.61 $1.61

80.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.42 $4.42

-24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.97 $0.97

25.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$25.13 $25.13

61.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.58 $5.58

-50.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.44 $1.44

14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$15.19 $15.19

132.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.83 $0.83

14.46%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.0K $30.0K

13.99%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.7K $24.7K

8.31%

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

$223 $223

$172 $172

29.52%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$51.9 $51.9

12.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$62.5 $62.5

13.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$47.20 $47.20

12.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$20.14 $20.14

-16.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.88 $11.88

18.35%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,185 $1,185

23.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$14.6K $14.6K

46.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$37.41 $37.41

40.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$30.80 $30.80

38.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$87.4 $87.4

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$94.4 $94.4

9.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,178 $1,178

79.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$980 $980

25.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,992 $1,992

93.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,616 $1,616

48.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,444 $2,444

203.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,033 $2,033

50.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,584 $3,584

44.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.49

5.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9% 20.3% $250

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1% 5.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4% 18.8% $66

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1% 25.9% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3% 12.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3% 12.6% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Johnson City, TN

$42 2% 26% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $54 in Johnson City, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $388 per month, with Johnson City, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

66,027

💱 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 Johnson City, TN 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johnson City, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Johnson City, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 44% 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 $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,138 in Johnson City, TN – Johnson City, TN is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Johnson City, TN runs roughly 38% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,138 in Johnson City, TN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Johnson City, TN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Johnson City, TN 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.

Expats usually find Johnson City, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.