Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lake City, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake City, FL: $2,116 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Lake City, FL
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Lake City, FL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Lake City, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,116

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,116 in Lake City, FL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Lake City, FL $2,116

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $2,949 in Lake City, FL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Lake City, FL $2,949

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $3,783 in Lake City, FL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Lake City, FL $3,783

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 23% more expensive than in Lake City, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Lake City, FL 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$21.04 $21.04

-3.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$49.95 $49.95

69.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.41 $11.41

6.22%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.09 $5.09

11.00%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.04 $3.04

21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.94 $1.94

21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.66 $3.66

115.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.57 $5.57

58.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.02 $1.02

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.88 $2.88

28.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.43 $2.43

36.21%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.01 $5.01

-17.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$7.51 $7.51

72.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.78 $11.78

17.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$12.99 $12.99

25.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.03 $6.03

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.38 $1.38

5.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.00 $4.00

27.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.18 $3.18

42.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.44 $2.44

26.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.43 $2.43

-2.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.44 $1.44

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.80 $1.80

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.50 $8.50

17.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.15 $11.15

34.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.03 $2.03

43.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.57 $2.57

29.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.01 $2.01

-39.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$60.8 $60.8

-33.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.18 $3.18

-12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.23 $1.23

34.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$25.33 $25.33

39.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.79 $0.79

20.25%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

30.09%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.21%

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

$223 $223

$138 $138

61.96%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$49.57 $49.57

17.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$70.6 $70.6

0.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$41.86 $41.86

26.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.39 $13.39

5.00%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$613 $613

137.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.8K $23.8K

-10.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.13 $49.13

6.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$52.6 $52.6

-18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$87.9 $87.9

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$49.51 $49.51

109.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,061 $1,061

99.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$954 $954

29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,599 $1,599

141.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,268 $1,268

89.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,075 $2,075

257.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,099 $2,099

45.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,919 $5,919

-12.50%

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 Lake City, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Lake City, FL

$954 45.1% 22.5% $277

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Lake City, FL

$337 15.9% 17.9% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Lake City, FL

$258 12.2% 26.9% $95

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Lake City, FL

$313 14.8% 10.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Lake City, FL

$108 5.1% 16.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Lake City, FL

$69 3.3% 15.4% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Lake City, FL

$78 3.7% 38.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,061 in Lake City, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lake City, FL pays 14% 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 $50 in Lake City, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $337 per month, with Lake City, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lake City, FL

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

01:16 1:16 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

12,329

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Lake City, FL 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lake City, 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 Lake City, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake City, FL 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 City, FL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 13% 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 $1,061 in Lake City, FL. 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 $2,116 in Lake City, FL – Lake City, FL is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 33% less than in Lake City, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lake City, FL gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Lake City, FL 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.