Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Little Rock, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Little Rock, AR: $2,107 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Little Rock, AR
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Little Rock, AR Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Little Rock, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,107 in Little Rock, AR.

Austin, TX $2,607
Little Rock, AR $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,056 in Little Rock, AR.

Austin, TX $4,031
Little Rock, AR $3,056

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,006 in Little Rock, AR.

Austin, TX $5,454
Little Rock, AR $4,006

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 24% more expensive than in Little Rock, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Little Rock, AR 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$16.98 $16.98

19.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$73.7 $73.7

14.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.82 $10.82

12.01%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.28 $5.28

7.01%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.05 $3.05

20.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.40 $2.40

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.52 $5.52

42.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.65 $6.65

32.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.06 $1.06

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.73 $2.73

35.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.71 $2.71

22.14%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.43 $3.43

20.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.43 $10.43

24.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.73 $11.73

18.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$22.51 $22.51

-27.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.13 $5.13

-8.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.40 $1.40

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.37 $4.37

16.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.78 $3.78

19.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.76 $2.76

11.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.46 $2.46

-3.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.02 $2.02

-10.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.86 $1.86

19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.25 $9.25

7.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.53 $13.53

11.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.80 $1.80

61.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.74 $1.74

91.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.39 $1.39

-12.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$36.47 $36.47

11.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.56 $2.56

8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.47 $1.47

12.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.45 $24.45

44.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.93 $0.93

2.15%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.6K $27.6K

24.13%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.71%

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

$223 $223

$219 $219

1.98%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.9 $59.9

-2.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$69.6 $69.6

2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$24.40 $24.40

117.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$14.19 $14.19

18.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.77 $12.77

10.10%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,028 $1,028

41.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$18.6K $18.6K

14.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$51.4 $51.4

2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$39.40 $39.40

8.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$83.5 $83.5

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$151 $151

-31.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,140 $1,140

85.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$842 $842

46.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,677 $1,677

130.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,225 $1,225

96.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,007 $2,007

269.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,367 $1,367

123.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,852 $3,852

34.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.75

1.04%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Little Rock, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Little Rock, AR

$842 40% 31.5% $388

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Little Rock, AR

$373 17.7% 8.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Little Rock, AR

$348 16.5% 1.3% $4.5

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Little Rock, AR

$294 14% 15.4% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Little Rock, AR

$146 7% 13.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Little Rock, AR

$50 2.4% 38.5% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Little Rock, AR

$52 2.5% 8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,140 in Little Rock, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $74 in Little Rock, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $373 per month, with Little Rock, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Little Rock, AR

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

202,591

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Little Rock, AR 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Little Rock, AR wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Little Rock, AR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,140 in Little Rock, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,107 in Little Rock, AR – Little Rock, AR is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Little Rock, AR runs roughly 10% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Little Rock, AR gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Little Rock, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.