Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Joplin, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Joplin, MO: $2,055 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Joplin, MO
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Joplin, MO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Joplin, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Joplin, MO

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 Joplin, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,055 in Joplin, MO.

Austin, TX $2,607
Joplin, MO $2,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $2,808 in Joplin, MO.

Austin, TX $4,031
Joplin, MO $2,808

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $3,560 in Joplin, MO.

Austin, TX $5,454
Joplin, MO $3,560

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 27% more expensive than in Joplin, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Joplin, MO 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$14.81 $14.81

37.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$59.3 $59.3

42.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.30 $10.30

17.67%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.59 $4.59

23.09%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.95 $1.95

88.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.87 $1.87

26.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.88 $4.88

61.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.89 $5.89

49.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.89 $0.89

28.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.71 $2.71

36.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.09 $2.09

58.37%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.17 $3.17

30.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$8.77 $8.77

48.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$6.90 $6.90

100.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.61 $17.61

-7.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.92 $3.92

19.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.19 $1.19

21.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.52 $2.52

102.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.13 $2.13

112.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.26 $1.26

144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.32 $2.32

2.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.81 $1.81

-0.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.26 $2.26

-1.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.55 $9.55

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.02 $15.02

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.71 $1.71

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.47 $1.47

126.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.97 $1.97

-38.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.43 $2.43

14.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.59 $1.59

3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$40.22 $40.22

-12.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.77 $0.77

23.38%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

22.38%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

5.12%

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

$223 $223

$276 $276

-19.17%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$42.40 $42.40

37.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$70.1 $70.1

1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$14.86 $14.86

256.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.57 $13.57

3.61%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$901 $901

61.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$15.9K $15.9K

34.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$39.99 $39.99

31.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$31.28 $31.28

36.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$101 $101

-14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$71.3 $71.3

45.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,266 $1,266

66.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$939 $939

31.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,695 $1,695

127.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,262 $1,262

90.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,483 $1,483

400.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,492 $1,492

105.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,311 $3,311

56.41%

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 Joplin, MO: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Joplin, MO

$939 45.7% 23.7% $292

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Joplin, MO

$303 14.7% 26.2% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Joplin, MO

$388 18.9% 10.1% $36

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Joplin, MO

$256 12.5% 26.5% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Joplin, MO

$110 5.3% 14.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Joplin, MO

$42 2% 48.2% $39

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Joplin, MO

$18 * 0.9% 67.7% $38

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 $1,266 in Joplin, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 56% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $59 in Joplin, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $303 per month, with Joplin, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Joplin, MO

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

51,762

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Joplin, MO 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Joplin, MO

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 Joplin, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Joplin, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Joplin, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 56% 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 $1,266 in Joplin, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $901 in Joplin, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Joplin, MO – a meal for two runs $59 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,055 in Joplin, MO versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Joplin, MO but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Joplin, MO 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 – Joplin, MO wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.