Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Johnstown, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Johnstown, PA: $1,657 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Johnstown, PA
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Johnstown, PA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Johnstown, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Johnstown, PA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,657 in Johnstown, PA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Johnstown, PA $1,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,417 in Johnstown, PA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Johnstown, PA $2,417

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,177 in Johnstown, PA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Johnstown, PA $3,177

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 63% more expensive than in Johnstown, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Johnstown, PA 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$13.58 $13.58

51.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$39.60 $39.60

113.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.19 $7.19

67.87%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.34 $6.34

-13.56%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.72 $2.72

39.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.60 $2.60

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.93 $3.93

104.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.88 $5.88

51.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.23 $1.23

-9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.39 $1.39

167.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$7.50 $7.50

-55.07%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.32 $5.32

-18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$16.56 $16.56

-20.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$4.65 $4.65

204.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.84 $18.84

-13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.91 $4.91

-7.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.32 $1.32

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.42 $6.42

-26.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.82 $2.82

47.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.96 $0.96

168.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.02 $2.02

16.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.14 $2.14

-17.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.71 $2.71

-21.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.97 $9.97

1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.03 $15.03

1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.72 $1.72

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.98 $4.98

-30.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.96 $0.96

-2.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

20.79%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.14%

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

$223 $223

$147 $147

51.13%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$14.88 $14.88

295.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$69.5 $69.5

1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$36.40 $36.40

58.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$9.26 $9.26

54.00%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,258 $2,258

-33.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$60.2K $60.2K

-65.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$47.37 $47.37

8.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$36.50 $36.50

21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$108 $108

-19.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$122 $122

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$643 $643

201.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$594 $594

121.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$900 $900

307.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$935 $935

174.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$829 $829

786.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$836 $836

274.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,182 $2,182

142.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.72

1.04%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Johnstown, PA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Johnstown, PA

$594 35.9% 54.9% $722

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Johnstown, PA

$376 22.7% 7.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Johnstown, PA

$232 14% 34.2% $120

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Johnstown, PA

$259 15.6% 26% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Johnstown, PA

$141 8.5% 9.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Johnstown, PA

$55 3.3% 36.3% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Johnstown, PA

- * 0% 100%

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $643 in Johnstown, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 142% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $40.00 in Johnstown, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $376 per month, with Johnstown, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Johnstown, PA

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

23:39 11:39 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

22,269

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Johnstown, PA 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Johnstown, PA

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 Johnstown, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johnstown, PA wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Johnstown, PA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 142% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $643 in Johnstown, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $2,258 in Johnstown, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Johnstown, PA – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,657 in Johnstown, PA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Johnstown, PA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Johnstown, PA 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Johnstown, PA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Johnstown, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.