Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kalamazoo, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalamazoo, MI: $2,052 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Kalamazoo, MI
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Kalamazoo, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Kalamazoo, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,052

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kalamazoo, MI

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 Kalamazoo, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,052 in Kalamazoo, MI.

Austin, TX $2,607
Kalamazoo, MI $2,052

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,227 in Kalamazoo, MI.

Austin, TX $4,031
Kalamazoo, MI $3,227

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,402 in Kalamazoo, MI.

Austin, TX $5,454
Kalamazoo, MI $4,402

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$24.57 $24.57

-17.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$85.4 $85.4

-0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.94 $9.94

21.93%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.93 $4.93

14.60%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.50 $2.50

47.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.12 $2.12

11.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.95 $4.95

58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.38 $6.38

38.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.73 $0.73

56.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.12 $3.12

18.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.28 $4.28

-22.66%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.67 $2.67

55.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.18 $9.18

41.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.42 $12.42

11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.13 $13.13

24.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.57 $5.57

-15.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.43 $1.43

1.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$9.46 $9.46

-45.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.88 $4.88

-7.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.59 $2.59

18.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.39 $3.39

-29.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.89 $1.89

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.27 $1.27

74.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.11 $10.11

-1.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.96 $14.96

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.95 $1.95

49.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.44 $3.44

-3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.54 $1.54

-20.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$61.0 $61.0

-33.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.06 $5.06

-45.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.84 $1.84

-10.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$50.6 $50.6

-30.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

27.40%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

6.06%

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

$223 $223

$117 $117

90.21%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$37.47 $37.47

56.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$95.0 $95.0

-25.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$32.76 $32.76

61.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$16.22 $16.22

3.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$10.13 $10.13

38.80%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,659 $1,659

-12.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$11.2K $11.2K

90.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$53.0 $53.0

-0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$21.78 $21.78

96.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$109 $109

-20.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$93.6 $93.6

10.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,443 $1,443

46.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$823 $823

49.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,062 $2,062

87.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,550 $1,550

55.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,986 $1,986

273.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,694 $1,694

80.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,576 $3,576

44.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.53

4.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kalamazoo, MI: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Kalamazoo, MI

$823 40.1% 33.1% $408

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Kalamazoo, MI

$378 18.4% 7.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Kalamazoo, MI

$250 12.2% 29.2% $103

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Kalamazoo, MI

$342 16.7% 1.9% $6.6

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Kalamazoo, MI

$125 6.1% 2.7% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Kalamazoo, MI

$53 2.6% 34.7% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Kalamazoo, MI

$81 4% 44.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,443 in Kalamazoo, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $85 in Kalamazoo, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $378, with Kalamazoo, MI cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Kalamazoo, MI

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

12:06 12:06 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

72,161

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kalamazoo, MI 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kalamazoo, MI

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 Kalamazoo, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalamazoo, MI 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 Kalamazoo, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $1,443 in Kalamazoo, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,659 in Kalamazoo, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 34% less than in Kalamazoo, MI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Kalamazoo, MI gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 – Kalamazoo, MI wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.