Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kalispell, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,815 in Kalispell, MT, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Kalispell, MT
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Kalispell, MT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Kalispell, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kalispell, MT

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 Kalispell, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,815 in Kalispell, MT.

Austin, TX $2,607
Kalispell, MT $2,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,399 in Kalispell, MT.

Austin, TX $4,031
Kalispell, MT $4,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,982 in Kalispell, MT.

Austin, TX $5,454
Kalispell, MT $5,982

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 7% less than in Kalispell, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Kalispell, MT 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$29.83 $29.83

-31.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$80.5 $80.5

5.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$13.24 $13.24

-8.46%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.83 $6.83

-17.28%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.21 $3.21

14.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.44 $2.44

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.93 $5.93

32.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.76 $5.76

53.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.92 $4.92

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.73 $5.73

-42.23%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.42 $5.42

-23.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.49 $15.49

-16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.88 $10.88

27.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$14.81 $14.81

10.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.09 $6.09

-22.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.86 $2.86

-49.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.25 $4.25

20.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.34 $6.34

-28.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.28 $3.28

-6.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.98 $1.98

20.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.55 $1.55

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.47 $3.47

-36.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$12.89 $12.89

-22.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.27 $15.27

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.52 $3.52

-17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.57 $3.57

-6.72%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$25.13 $25.13

40.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.98 $0.98

-3.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.5K $30.5K

12.09%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$28.5K $28.5K

-6.24%

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

$223 $223

$311 $311

-28.28%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$68.8 $68.8

-15.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$82.8 $82.8

-14.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$95.4 $95.4

-44.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$15.15 $15.15

10.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.14 $15.14

-7.13%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,147 $1,147

27.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$64.7 $64.7

-18.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$57.8 $57.8

-26.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$102 $102

-15.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$96.5 $96.5

7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,378 $1,378

53.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,195 $1,195

2.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,436 $2,436

58.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,542 $2,542

-5.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,667 $4,667

59.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,558 $4,558

-32.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,253 $3,253

59.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.87

-0.73%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kalispell, MT: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Kalispell, MT

$1.2K 42.4% 2.9% $36

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Kalispell, MT

$464 16.5% 13.2% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Kalispell, MT

$463 16.4% 31.2% $110

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Kalispell, MT

$424 15.1% 21.8% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Kalispell, MT

$144 5.1% 12.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Kalispell, MT

$126 4.5% 54.8% $45

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Kalispell, MT

- * 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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,378 in Kalispell, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $80 in Kalispell, MT. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $464, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Kalispell, MT

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

22:40 10:40 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

22,052

💱 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 Kalispell, MT 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kalispell, MT

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 Kalispell, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Kalispell, MT. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 59% 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 $1,378 in Kalispell, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,147 in Kalispell, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalispell, MT – a meal for two runs $80 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.