Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kingsport, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingsport, TN: $1,973 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
94

Cost of Living Index in Kingsport, TN
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Kingsport, TN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Kingsport, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,973

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kingsport, TN

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 Kingsport, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,973 in Kingsport, TN.

Austin, TX $2,607
Kingsport, TN $1,973

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,211 in Kingsport, TN.

Austin, TX $4,031
Kingsport, TN $3,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,448 in Kingsport, TN.

Austin, TX $5,454
Kingsport, TN $4,448

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 32% more expensive than in Kingsport, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Kingsport, TN 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.69 $17.69

15.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$55.9 $55.9

51.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.18 $11.18

8.41%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.03 $5.03

12.33%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.26 $2.26

62.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.89 $1.89

24.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.38 $4.38

79.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.20 $7.20

22.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.88 $0.88

29.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.65 $2.65

39.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.26 $2.26

46.46%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.41 $3.41

21.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.86 $13.86

-6.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.54 $8.54

62.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.03 $17.03

-4.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.53 $5.53

-15.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.20 $1.20

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.75 $3.75

36.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.68 $4.68

-3.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.33 $2.33

32.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.09 $3.09

-22.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.11 $2.11

-14.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.10 $2.10

5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.10 $8.10

23.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$9.87 $9.87

52.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.74 $1.74

67.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.72 $4.72

-29.45%

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

$0.61 $0.61

170.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.87 $0.87

9.20%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$36.5K $36.5K

-6.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.17%

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

$223 $223

$122 $122

82.89%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$49.80 $49.80

17.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$65.1 $65.1

9.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$41.65 $41.65

27.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.30 $12.30

14.31%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$568 $568

156.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$44.12 $44.12

18.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$34.51 $34.51

23.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$91.1 $91.1

-5.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$111 $111

-6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,093 $1,093

93.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$902 $902

36.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,427 $2,427

59.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,064 $2,064

16.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,887 $1,887

293.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,890 $1,890

61.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,740 $3,740

38.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.79

0.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kingsport, TN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Kingsport, TN

$902 45.7% 26.7% $329

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Kingsport, TN

$351 17.8% 14.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Kingsport, TN

$237 12% 32.8% $116

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Kingsport, TN

$288 14.6% 17.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Kingsport, TN

$126 6.4% 1.8% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Kingsport, TN

$66 3.4% 18.4% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Kingsport, TN

$3 * 0.2% 94.6% $53

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 $1,093 in Kingsport, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $56 in Kingsport, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $351 per month, with Kingsport, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Kingsport, TN

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

17:25 5:25 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

53,014

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kingsport, TN 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kingsport, TN

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 Kingsport, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingsport, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kingsport, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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 $1,093 in Kingsport, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $568 in Kingsport, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kingsport, TN – a meal for two runs $56 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Kingsport, TN 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 – Kingsport, TN wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.