Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lenoir City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Lenoir City, TN: $2,305 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Lenoir City, TN
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Lenoir City, TN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lenoir City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lenoir City, TN

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 Lenoir City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,305 in Lenoir City, TN.

Austin, TX $2,698
Lenoir City, TN $2,305

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,194 in Lenoir City, TN.

Austin, TX $4,160
Lenoir City, TN $3,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,084 in Lenoir City, TN.

Austin, TX $5,622
Lenoir City, TN $4,084

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 17% more expensive than in Lenoir City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lenoir City, TN 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$12.85 $12.85

60.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$56.7 $56.7

49.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.77 $8.77

37.63%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.90 $3.90

40.51%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.51 $2.51

51.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.01 $2.01

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.86 $4.86

65.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.10 $5.10

74.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.75 $0.75

48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.19 $2.19

69.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.96 $3.96

-14.90%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.20 $3.20

35.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.82 $7.82

67.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$5.66 $5.66

150.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.60 $7.60

114.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.48 $4.48

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.21 $1.21

20.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.46 $4.46

5.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.42 $4.42

-6.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.26 $2.26

14.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.73 $2.73

-13.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.48 $1.48

19.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.91 $2.91

-26.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.21 $8.21

23.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.06 $12.06

25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.76 $1.76

60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.78 $1.78

93.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.81 $1.81

-14.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.92 $4.92

-43.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.94 $1.94

-17.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$34.45 $34.45

-0.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.97 $0.97

-3.09%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.0K $28.0K

21.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.1K $25.1K

6.51%

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

$223 $223

$147 $147

51.57%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$60.8 $60.8

-3.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$60.5 $60.5

16.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$45.33 $45.33

27.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.73 $14.73

-3.19%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$784 $784

92.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.2K $25.2K

-16.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$42.15 $42.15

21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$30.63 $30.63

44.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$75.8 $75.8

14.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$156 $156

-33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,472 $1,472

31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,283 $1,283

2.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,853 $1,853

97.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,860 $1,860

37.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,685 $2,685

173.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,373 $2,373

31.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,175 $3,175

66.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

35.80%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lenoir City, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Lenoir City, TN

$1.3K 55.6% 2.6% $34

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Lenoir City, TN

$292 12.7% 28.1% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Lenoir City, TN

$268 11.6% 23.8% $84

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Lenoir City, TN

$229 9.9% 34.7% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Lenoir City, TN

$137 6% 6.3% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lenoir City, TN

$75 3.3% 13.2% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Lenoir City, TN

$22 * 1% 62.3% $36

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 $1,472 in Lenoir City, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 66% 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 $57.0 in Lenoir City, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $292 per month, with Lenoir City, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lenoir City, TN

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

04:11 4:11 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,000

💱 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 Lenoir City, TN 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lenoir City, TN

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 Lenoir City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lenoir City, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lenoir City, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 66% 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 $1,472 in Lenoir City, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $784 in Lenoir City, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lenoir City, TN – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,305 in Lenoir City, TN versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lenoir City, TN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lenoir City, TN 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.

Expats usually find Lenoir City, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.