Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and La Plata, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata, MD: $2,441 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
117

Cost of Living Index in La Plata, MD
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La Plata, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

La Plata, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,441

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in La Plata, MD

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 La Plata, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,441 in La Plata, MD.

Austin, TX $2,607
La Plata, MD $2,441

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,635 in La Plata, MD.

Austin, TX $4,031
La Plata, MD $3,635

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,829 in La Plata, MD.

Austin, TX $5,454
La Plata, MD $4,829

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 7% more expensive than in La Plata, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, La Plata, MD 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$13.52 $13.52

50.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$90.4 $90.4

-6.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$7.62 $7.62

59.06%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.29 $6.29

-10.17%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.82 $2.82

30.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.56 $2.56

-7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.46 $3.46

127.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.96 $4.96

77.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.68 $1.68

-32.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.42 $4.42

-16.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$6.23 $6.23

-46.87%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$1.81 $1.81

129.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.70 $12.70

2.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.81 $8.81

57.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.15 $13.15

24.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.89 $4.89

-4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.65 $1.65

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.32 $6.32

-19.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.44 $4.44

1.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.04 $3.04

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.08 $2.08

14.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.10 $2.10

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.72 $2.72

-18.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.85 $11.85

-15.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.37 $14.37

4.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.68 $1.68

73.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$5.10 $5.10

-34.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.94 $1.94

-37.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$58.1 $58.1

-30.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.73 $2.73

1.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.67 $1.67

-1.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.72 $29.72

19.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.02 $1.02

-6.86%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$32.6K $32.6K

4.94%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$30.5K $30.5K

-12.37%

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

$223 $223

$97.8 $97.8

127.92%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$42.02 $42.02

39.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$73.5 $73.5

-3.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.39 $40.39

31.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

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

$1,210 $1,210

20.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.0K $23.0K

-7.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$47.79 $47.79

9.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$36.43 $36.43

17.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$112 $112

-22.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,575 $1,575

34.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,284 $1,284

-4.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,492 $2,492

55.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,098 $2,098

14.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,038 $3,038

144.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,428 $2,428

26.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$6,502 $6,502

-20.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.25

9.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for La Plata, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

La Plata, MD

$1.3K 52.6% 4.3% $53

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

La Plata, MD

$398 16.3% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

La Plata, MD

$213 8.7% 39.5% $139

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

La Plata, MD

$255 10.5% 26.7% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

La Plata, MD

$143 5.8% 11% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

La Plata, MD

$71 2.9% 12.9% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

La Plata, MD

$77 3.2% 36.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,575 in La Plata, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Plata, MD pays 26% 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 $90 in La Plata, MD. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $398, with La Plata, MD cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 La Plata, MD

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

14:48 2:48 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX La Plata, MD 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
La Plata, MD

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 La Plata, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Plata, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making La Plata, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,575 in La Plata, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,441 in La Plata, MD – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 30% less than in La Plata, MD. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

For families, La Plata, MD is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.