Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lansing, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lansing, IL: $2,424 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Lansing, IL
Learn more

Lansing, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lansing, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,424

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lansing, IL

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 Lansing, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,424 in Lansing, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Lansing, IL $2,424

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,690 in Lansing, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Lansing, IL $3,690

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,956 in Lansing, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Lansing, IL $4,956

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lansing, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lansing, IL 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.66 $19.66

4.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$74.6 $74.6

13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.59 $11.59

4.14%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.19 $5.19

5.59%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.72 $2.72

39.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.96 $1.96

26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.90 $5.90

36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.22 $7.22

22.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.99 $0.99

12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.57 $3.57

4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.45 $4.45

-24.27%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.11 $4.11

5.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.76 $12.76

2.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.39 $11.39

24.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.88 $16.88

-3.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.10 $5.10

-10.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.64 $1.64

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.39 $4.39

7.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.79 $4.79

-13.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.82 $2.82

-8.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.91 $2.91

-19.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.19 $2.19

-19.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.22 $2.22

-3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.96 $9.96

1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.07 $15.07

0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.92 $1.92

46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.27 $3.27

5.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.05 $2.05

-24.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.69 $2.69

4.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.56 $1.56

2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$33.26 $33.26

3.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.13 $1.13

-16.81%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

21.92%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.62%

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

$223 $223

$196 $196

13.79%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$66.0 $66.0

-10.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$71.0 $71.0

-0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.95 $40.95

40.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.18 $14.18

0.56%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,377 $1,377

9.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-22.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$55.9 $55.9

-8.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.58 $43.58

1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$101 $101

-14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,607 $1,607

20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,143 $1,143

15.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,651 $2,651

38.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,131 $2,131

20.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,439 $2,439

201.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,500 $2,500

25.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,105 $3,105

70.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lansing, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Lansing, IL

$1.1K 47.2% 13.1% $173

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Lansing, IL

$398 16.4% 1.8% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Lansing, IL

$333 13.7% 5.5% $19

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Lansing, IL

$317 13.1% 9.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Lansing, IL

$144 6% 11.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lansing, IL

$69 2.9% 19.6% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Lansing, IL

$19 * 0.8% 67.8% $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 $1,607 in Lansing, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 70% 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 $75.0 in Lansing, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $398 per month, with Lansing, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lansing, IL

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

112,644

💱 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 Lansing, IL 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lansing, IL

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 Lansing, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lansing, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lansing, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 70% 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 $1,607 in Lansing, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,377 in Lansing, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lansing, IL – a meal for two runs $75.0 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 $2,500. Lansing, IL 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 Lansing, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.