Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Knoxville, TN: $2,698 and $2,576 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Knoxville, 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 Knoxville, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,576 in Knoxville, TN.

Austin, TX $2,698
Knoxville, TN $2,576

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,786 in Knoxville, TN.

Austin, TX $4,160
Knoxville, TN $3,786

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,997 in Knoxville, TN.

Austin, TX $5,622
Knoxville, TN $4,997

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 5% more expensive than in Knoxville, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Knoxville, TN 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.71 $17.71

16.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$74.6 $74.6

13.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.86 $9.86

22.41%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.38 $5.38

1.86%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.83 $2.83

34.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.75 $2.75

-10.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.36 $6.36

26.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.60 $6.60

34.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.06 $1.06

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.47 $3.47

7.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.56 $4.56

-26.10%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.46 $4.46

-3.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.08 $10.08

30.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.22 $9.22

53.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.91 $14.91

9.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$7.04 $7.04

-35.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.55 $1.55

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.87 $2.87

64.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.58 $5.58

-25.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.16 $2.16

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.36 $4.36

-46.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.23 $2.23

-20.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.19 $2.19

-2.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.99 $8.99

12.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.23 $15.23

-0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.91 $1.91

47.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.14 $3.14

9.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.02 $1.02

50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$29.58 $29.58

38.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.10 $5.10

-45.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.51 $1.51

5.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$29.87 $29.87

14.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.01 $1.01

-6.93%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

21.95%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

-1.90%

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

$223 $223

-0.29%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$74.4 $74.4

-20.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$53.1 $53.1

32.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$29.37 $29.37

96.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$21.90 $21.90

-24.52%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.20 $15.20

-6.18%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,246 $1,246

21.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.5K $24.5K

-14.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$50.9 $50.9

0.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$45.53 $45.53

-2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$112 $112

-22.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$123 $123

-15.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,811 $1,811

7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,284 $1,284

2.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,901 $2,901

26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,144 $2,144

19.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$4,681 $4,681

57.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,243 $2,243

39.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,622 $3,622

45.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.64

2.26%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.8% 2.4% $32

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Knoxville, TN

$383 14.9% 5.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Knoxville, TN

$351 13.6% 0.4% $1.3

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Knoxville, TN

$303 11.8% 13.4% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Knoxville, TN

$149 5.8% 15.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.3% 30.7% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Knoxville, TN

$46 1.8% 20.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,811 in Knoxville, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 46% 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 $75.0 in Knoxville, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $383 per month, with Knoxville, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🕒 Local time

03:13 3:13 AM

04:13 4:13 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

190,740

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Knoxville, TN 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Knoxville, 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 Knoxville, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Knoxville, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Knoxville, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,811 in Knoxville, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,576 in Knoxville, TN – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Knoxville, TN runs roughly 39% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

Both work as nomad bases, but Knoxville, TN delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,576 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Knoxville, TN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Knoxville, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.