Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Laurel, MS

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Laurel, MS: $2,689 and $2,696 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Laurel, MS
Learn more

Laurel, MS Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Laurel, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Laurel, MS

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 Laurel, MS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,696 in Laurel, MS.

Austin, TX $2,689
Laurel, MS $2,696

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,894 in Laurel, MS.

Austin, TX $4,112
Laurel, MS $3,894

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,092 in Laurel, MS.

Austin, TX $5,534
Laurel, MS $5,092

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Laurel, MS; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Laurel, MS 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$17.38 $17.38

22.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$61.0 $61.0

44.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$8.94 $8.94

39.15%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.85 $5.85

-4.27%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.21 $2.21

65.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.09 $5.09

53.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$5.87 $5.87

49.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.04 $1.04

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.99 $2.99

21.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.81 $4.81

-27.23%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.91 $3.91

13.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$9.42 $9.42

39.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$11.31 $11.31

23.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$15.96 $15.96

3.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.07 $4.07

16.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.33 $1.33

12.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$8.11 $8.11

-42.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.03 $3.03

49.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.08 $1.08

136.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$4.33 $4.33

-44.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.74 $2.74

-32.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.81 $2.81

-24.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$8.72 $8.72

15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.94 $11.94

24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.34 $2.34

20.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.52 $3.52

-6.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.30 $2.30

-46.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$60.6 $60.6

-31.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.92 $2.92

-8.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.62 $1.62

0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$30.43 $30.43

15.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.92 $0.92

6.52%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

28.07%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

3.05%

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

$252 $252

$266 $266

-5.10%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$78.0 $78.0

-23.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$73.1 $73.1

-4.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$45.85 $45.85

31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$15.77 $15.77

-12.81%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,404 $1,404

3.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$18.4K $18.4K

44.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$57.9 $57.9

-9.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$38.09 $38.09

20.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$110 $110

-22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$161 $161

-34.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,553 $1,553

41.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,281 $1,281

-0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,582 $2,582

54.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,139 $2,139

12.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,972 $2,972

148.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,512 $2,512

17.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.69

1.94%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Laurel, MS: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Laurel, MS

$1.3K 47.5% 1% $12

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Laurel, MS

$383 14.2% 6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Laurel, MS

$417 15.5% 9.2% $35

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Laurel, MS

$292 10.8% 18.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Laurel, MS

$165 6.1% 26.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Laurel, MS

$77 2.9% 11.9% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Laurel, MS

$81 3% 41.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,553 in Laurel, MS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $61 in Laurel, MS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $383 per month, with Laurel, MS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Laurel, MS

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

18,540

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Laurel, MS 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Laurel, MS

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 Laurel, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $4,034 in Austin, TX and $4,044 in Laurel, MS 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,553 in Laurel, MS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $1,404 in Laurel, MS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Laurel, MS – a meal for two runs $61 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.