Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Leeds

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeds: $2,209 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Leeds
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,209
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Leeds

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,209 in Leeds.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Leeds $2,209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,325 in Leeds.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Leeds $3,325

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,441 in Leeds.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Leeds $4,441

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 22% more expensive than in Leeds, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Leeds 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Leeds
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$20.75 £15.68
-2.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$76.9 £58.2
10.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$9.03 £6.82
36.77%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$5.09 £3.85
7.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$3.69 £2.79
3.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$2.72 £2.05
-8.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$7.42 £5.61
8.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$8.36 £6.32
7.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Leeds
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.62 £1.22
-30.25%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$1.46 £1.10
158.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.83 £2.14
14.84%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$4.09 £3.09
1.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$10.92 £8.25
19.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$8.72 £6.59
64.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$15.85 £11.98
0.69%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.99 £2.26
46.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.89 £1.43
-23.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$2.83 £2.14
60.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$3.45 £2.61
21.45%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.61 £1.21
63.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.63 £1.23
44.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.38 £1.04
27.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.61 £1.22
34.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$19.91 £15.05
-50.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$10.46 £7.90
40.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.80 £2.11
-0.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$3.04 £2.30
14.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Leeds
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$3.28 £2.48
-54.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$123 £92.8
-67.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$3.19 £2.41
-16.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$2.00 £1.51
-21.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$17.82 £13.46
98.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$2.06 £1.56
-51.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$37.6K £28.4K
-4.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$41.1K £31.0K
-33.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Leeds
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$255 £193
-14.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$16.90 £12.77
243.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$41.79 £31.58
63.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Leeds
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$41.24 £31.16
40.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$24.18 £18.27
-38.71%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$13.40 £10.13
5.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Leeds
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$1,845 £1,394
-18.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$22.0K £16.7K
-2.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Leeds
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$88.0 £66.5
-41.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$45.77 £34.58
-3.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$88.0 £66.5
-3.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$85.9 £64.9
22.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Leeds
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$1,225 £926
57.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$914 £690
39.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$2,307 £1,743
59.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$1,628 £1,230
55.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$3,758 £2,840
102.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$3,518 £2,659
-9.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Leeds
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$3,278 £2,477
55.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
4.99
36.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Leeds: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Leeds
$914 28.2% $359
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Leeds
$311 22.8% $92
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Leeds
$334 4.1% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Leeds
$314 9.2% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Leeds
$138 7.5% $9.7
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Leeds
$68 21% $18
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Leeds
$149 162% $92

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,225 in Leeds. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 56% 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 $77.0 in Leeds for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $311 per month, with Leeds cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇬🇧 Leeds
🕒 Local time
02:12 2:12 AM
08:12 8:12 AM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
766,399
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Leeds 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Leeds

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 Leeds: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Leeds?
Leeds wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leeds the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Leeds?
Average pay runs 56% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Leeds?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,225 in Leeds. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Leeds?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,209 in Leeds – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Leeds?
A monthly transit pass in Leeds runs roughly 203% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Leeds?
At $2,209 in Leeds versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leeds but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Leeds the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Austin, TX or Leeds?
Both work as nomad bases, but Leeds delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,209 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Leeds hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Leeds gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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