Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lake Geneva, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Geneva, WI: $2,464 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Lake Geneva, WI
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Lake Geneva, WI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lake Geneva, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lake Geneva, WI

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 Geneva, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI.

Austin, TX $2,698
Lake Geneva, WI $2,464

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,622 in Lake Geneva, WI.

Austin, TX $4,160
Lake Geneva, WI $3,622

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,780 in Lake Geneva, WI.

Austin, TX $5,622
Lake Geneva, WI $4,780

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Lake Geneva, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lake Geneva, WI 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$21.49 $21.49

-4.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$90.0 $90.0

-6.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.95 $12.95

-6.80%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.82 $5.82

-5.84%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.70 $2.70

40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.36 $2.36

4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.95 $6.95

15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.86 $8.86

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.01 $1.01

9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.46 $2.46

51.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.06 $5.06

-33.40%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.00 $2.00

116.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.97 $13.97

-6.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.65 $9.65

46.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.92 $9.92

64.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.13 $4.13

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.93 $1.93

-24.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.14 $4.14

13.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.72 $4.72

-12.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.66 $2.66

-3.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.66 $2.66

-11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.21 $2.21

-19.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.97 $2.97

-27.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.45 $8.45

19.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.84 $12.84

18.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.66 $2.66

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.37 $3.37

2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.15 $2.15

-28.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.30 $3.30

-15.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.36 $1.36

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$25.17 $25.17

36.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.91 $0.91

3.30%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$35.4K $35.4K

-3.96%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.84%

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

$223 $223

$192 $192

16.10%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$67.3 $67.3

-12.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$50.6 $50.6

39.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.35 $42.35

36.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$10.13 $10.13

40.77%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,687 $1,687

-10.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$31.5K $31.5K

-33.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$66.7 $66.7

-23.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$50.7 $50.7

-12.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$98.3 $98.3

-11.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$146 $146

-28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,610 $1,610

20.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,198 $1,198

9.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,754 $2,754

33.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,911 $1,911

34.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,513 $2,513

192.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,682 $2,682

16.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,761 $3,761

40.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.45

5.27%

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 Geneva, WI: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Lake Geneva, WI

$1.2K 48.6% 9% $118

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Lake Geneva, WI

$359 14.6% 11.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Lake Geneva, WI

$310 12.6% 12.1% $43

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Lake Geneva, WI

$353 14.3% 0.9% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Lake Geneva, WI

$163 6.6% 26% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lake Geneva, WI

$63 2.5% 27.4% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Lake Geneva, WI

$19 * 0.8% 67.7% $39

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 $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 41% 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 $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $359, with Lake Geneva, WI cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lake Geneva, WI

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Lake Geneva, WI 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lake Geneva, WI

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 Geneva, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Geneva, WI wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lake Geneva, WI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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 $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,687 in Lake Geneva, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lake Geneva, WI – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lake Geneva, WI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Lake Geneva, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.