Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lake Charles, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Charles, LA: $2,261 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Lake Charles, LA
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Lake Charles, LA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lake Charles, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,261

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lake Charles, LA

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 Lake Charles, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Lake Charles, LA $2,261

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,218 in Lake Charles, LA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Lake Charles, LA $3,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,174 in Lake Charles, LA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Lake Charles, LA $4,174

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 19% more expensive than in Lake Charles, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lake Charles, LA 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$26.37 $26.37

-21.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$70.0 $70.0

20.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.80 $10.80

11.76%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.32 $5.32

3.01%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.01 $2.01

89.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.22 $1.22

102.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.14 $5.14

56.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.98 $5.98

48.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.40 $1.40

-20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.13 $4.13

-9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$6.07 $6.07

-44.48%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.48 $5.48

-21.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$15.31 $15.31

-14.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.03 $10.03

41.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.57 $15.57

4.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.37 $4.37

4.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.32 $1.32

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.00 $2.00

135.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.68 $5.68

-26.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.41 $4.41

-41.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.21 $2.21

6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.26 $2.26

-21.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.57 $2.57

-16.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.31 $8.31

21.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$16.90 $16.90

-10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.54 $2.54

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.91 $3.91

-12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.45 $3.45

-18.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 $1.52

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$34.96 $34.96

-1.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.86 $0.86

9.30%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$33.2K $33.2K

2.27%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.24%

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

$223 $223

$263 $263

-15.36%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$71.4 $71.4

-17.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$57.0 $57.0

23.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$32.38 $32.38

78.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$13.86 $13.86

19.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.89 $11.89

19.93%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,542 $1,542

-2.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$10.3K $10.3K

103.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$25.43 $25.43

101.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.92 $43.92

0.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$59.5 $59.5

46.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$119 $119

-12.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,009 $1,009

92.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$911 $911

44.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,555 $1,555

135.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,271 $1,271

101.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,370 $1,370

436.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,395 $1,395

124.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,514 $3,514

50.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.66

1.95%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lake Charles, LA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Lake Charles, LA

$911 40.3% 30.8% $405

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Lake Charles, LA

$422 18.7% 4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Lake Charles, LA

$391 17.3% 11.2% $39

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Lake Charles, LA

$358 15.8% 2.2% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Lake Charles, LA

$112 4.9% 13.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lake Charles, LA

$56 2.5% 34.9% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Lake Charles, LA

$11 * 0.5% 80.9% $47

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,009 in Lake Charles, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 50% 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 $70.0 in Lake Charles, LA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $422, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lake Charles, LA

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

84,872

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lake Charles, LA 430 km

From you

Austin, TX
Lake Charles, LA

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 Lake Charles, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Charles, LA wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lake Charles, LA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% 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 $1,009 in Lake Charles, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,542 in Lake Charles, LA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lake Charles, LA – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lake Charles, LA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lake Charles, LA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Lake Charles, LA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lake Charles, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.