Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lake Norden, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Norden, SD: $2,499 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, TX despite lower rent and utilities.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Lake Norden, SD
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Lake Norden, SD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lake Norden, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lake Norden, SD

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 Norden, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,499 in Lake Norden, SD.

Austin, TX $2,698
Lake Norden, SD $2,499

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,607 in Lake Norden, SD.

Austin, TX $4,160
Lake Norden, SD $3,607

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,715 in Lake Norden, SD.

Austin, TX $5,622
Lake Norden, SD $4,715

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lake Norden, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lake Norden, SD 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$11.95 $11.95

72.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$76.3 $76.3

10.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.04 $10.04

20.22%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.36 $4.36

25.69%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.03 $2.03

87.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.86 $1.86

32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.91 $3.91

105.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.47 $6.47

37.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.82 $0.82

35.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.98 $2.98

24.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.75 $4.75

-29.05%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.97 $2.97

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.63 $12.63

3.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.53 $9.53

48.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.91 $15.91

2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.40 $4.40

3.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.63 $1.63

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.61 $3.61

30.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.49 $3.49

18.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.20 $2.20

17.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.32 $3.32

-29.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.99 $1.99

-11.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.76 $1.76

21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.78 $9.78

3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.18 $11.18

35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.23 $2.23

26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.55 $2.55

34.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.02 $2.02

-23.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.90 $3.90

-28.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.70 $1.70

-5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$35.58 $35.58

-3.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 $1.02

-7.84%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$24.7K $24.7K

37.76%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

6.26%

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

$223 $223

$247 $247

-9.69%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$46.75 $46.75

25.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$55.3 $55.3

27.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$46.18 $46.18

24.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.67 $12.67

12.55%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,016 $1,016

48.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$7,864 $7,864

165.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$32.48 $32.48

57.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$30.02 $30.02

47.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$120 $120

-27.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$137 $137

-24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,369 $1,369

41.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,342 $1,342

-1.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,616 $2,616

40.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,185 $2,185

17.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,042 $3,042

141.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,496 $2,496

25.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.87

-1.16%

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 Norden, SD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Lake Norden, SD

$1.3K 53.7% 1.9% $25

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Lake Norden, SD

$347 13.9% 14.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Lake Norden, SD

$349 14% 1% $3.5

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Lake Norden, SD

$226 9.1% 35.4% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Lake Norden, SD

$144 5.8% 11.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lake Norden, SD

$72 2.9% 17.1% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Lake Norden, SD

$20 * 0.8% 64.6% $37

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 $1,369 in Lake Norden, SD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $76.0 in Lake Norden, SD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $347 per month, with Lake Norden, SD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lake Norden, SD

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

600

💱 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 Lake Norden, SD 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lake Norden, SD

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 Norden, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Norden, SD wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lake Norden, SD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,749 in Lake Norden, SD to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,369 in Lake Norden, SD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,016 in Lake Norden, SD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lake Norden, SD – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,499 in Lake Norden, SD versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Lake Norden, SD but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lake Norden, SD 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 Norden, SD 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 Norden, SD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.