Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Key West, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,808 in Key West, FL, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
233

Cost of Living Index in Key West, FL
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Key West, FL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Key West, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$4,808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Key West, FL

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 Key West, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $4,808 in Key West, FL.

Austin, TX $2,663
Key West, FL $4,808

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $7,043 in Key West, FL.

Austin, TX $4,133
Key West, FL $7,043

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $9,278 in Key West, FL.

Austin, TX $5,603
Key West, FL $9,278

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 45% less than in Key West, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Key West, FL 256% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$22.31 $22.31

-6.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$98.3 $98.3

-13.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.87 $11.87

3.79%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.56 $4.56

23.46%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.26 $2.26

64.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.90 $1.90

31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.85 $5.85

37.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.84 $6.84

31.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.99 $0.99

13.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.68 $3.68

1.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$6.74 $6.74

-51.63%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.16 $5.16

-19.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.61 $11.61

11.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$13.34 $13.34

6.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$23.97 $23.97

-32.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.81 $4.81

-9.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.86 $1.86

-21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.67 $3.67

22.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.17 $5.17

-16.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.93 $5.93

-56.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.33 $3.33

-29.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.60 $3.60

-50.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.65 $2.65

-16.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.18 $8.18

20.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.18 $14.18

6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.99 $1.99

46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.38 $2.38

45.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.98 $3.98

-62.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.90 $3.90

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.12 $3.12

-46.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$30.20 $30.20

16.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.91 $0.91

4.40%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.5K $36.5K

-1.19%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

4.76%

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

$229 $229

$215 $215

6.44%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$54.4 $54.4

9.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$73.3 $73.3

-4.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$79.6 $79.6

-28.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.05 $14.05

1.64%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,090 $1,090

38.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$20.7K $20.7K

3.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$47.58 $47.58

10.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$41.78 $41.78

4.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$71.7 $71.7

18.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$69.1 $69.1

49.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$3,436 $3,436

-44.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$3,432 $3,432

-62.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$7,122 $7,122

-48.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$6,144 $6,144

-58.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$9,644 $9,644

-21.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$9,886 $9,886

-68.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,967 $5,967

-14.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.38

6.43%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Key West, FL: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Key West, FL

$3.4K 71.4% 169% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Key West, FL

$457 9.5% 13% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Key West, FL

$343 7.1% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Key West, FL

$328 6.8% 7.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Key West, FL

$104 2.2% 19% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Key West, FL

$108 2.2% 25.5% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Key West, FL

$35 * 0.7% 39.6% $23

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $3,436 in Key West, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Key West, FL pays 17% 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 $98.0 in Key West, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $457 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Key West, FL

🕒 Local time

23:19 11:19 PM

00:19 12:19 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

24,684

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Key West, FL 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Key West, FL

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 Key West, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Key West, FL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Key West, FL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $3,436 in Key West, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,090 in Key West, FL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $98.0 in Key West, FL. 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Key West, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.