Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lenoir, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lenoir, NC: $2,550 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Lenoir, NC
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Lenoir, NC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lenoir, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,550 in Lenoir, NC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Lenoir, NC $2,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,752 in Lenoir, NC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Lenoir, NC $3,752

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,953 in Lenoir, NC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Lenoir, NC $4,953

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Lenoir, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lenoir, NC 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.13 $20.13

2.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$74.5 $74.5

13.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.30 $11.30

6.81%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.45 $5.45

0.55%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.73 $2.73

39.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.94 $1.94

27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.84 $5.84

37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.14 $7.14

24.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.06 $1.06

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.44 $3.44

8.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.46 $4.46

-24.44%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.05 $4.05

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.43 $12.43

5.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.34 $11.34

24.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.80 $16.80

-2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.05 $5.05

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.56 $1.56

-6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.32 $4.32

9.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.61 $4.61

-9.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.86 $2.86

-9.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.05 $3.05

-22.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.20 $2.20

-19.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.23 $2.23

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.77 $10.77

-6.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.09 $15.09

0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.81 $1.81

55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.39 $3.39

1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.13 $2.13

-27.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.88 $2.88

-2.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.81 $1.81

-11.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$26.74 $26.74

28.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.06 $1.06

-11.32%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$24.5K $24.5K

38.69%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

-3.52%

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

$223 $223

$200 $200

11.41%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$57.9 $57.9

1.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$69.3 $69.3

1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.71 $41.71

38.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.19 $14.19

0.49%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,390 $1,390

8.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.9K $23.9K

-12.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$53.4 $53.4

-4.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$44.61 $44.61

-0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$88.0 $88.0

-1.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$107 $107

-2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,588 $1,588

22.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,284 $1,284

2.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,557 $2,557

43.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,160 $2,160

18.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,968 $2,968

147.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,503 $2,503

25.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

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 Lenoir, NC: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Lenoir, NC

$1.3K 50.3% 2.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Lenoir, NC

$395 15.5% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Lenoir, NC

$327 12.8% 7.1% $25

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Lenoir, NC

$323 12.7% 7.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Lenoir, NC

$132 5.2% 2.2% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lenoir, NC

$70 2.8% 18.7% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Lenoir, NC

$20 * 0.8% 64.7% $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 $1,588 in Lenoir, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $75.0 in Lenoir, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $395 per month, with Lenoir, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lenoir, NC

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

17,888

💱 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 Lenoir, NC 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lenoir, NC

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, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lenoir, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lenoir, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,825 in Lenoir, NC 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 $1,588 in Lenoir, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,390 in Lenoir, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lenoir, NC – 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 $3,000. Lenoir, NC 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 Lenoir, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.