Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Livingston, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingston, TX: $2,037 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Livingston, TX
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Livingston, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Livingston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,037 in Livingston, TX.

Austin, TX $2,698
Livingston, TX $2,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,765 in Livingston, TX.

Austin, TX $4,160
Livingston, TX $2,765

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,492 in Livingston, TX.

Austin, TX $5,622
Livingston, TX $3,492

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 32% more expensive than in Livingston, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Livingston, TX 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.80 $19.80

4.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$64.5 $64.5

31.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.90 $12.90

-6.43%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.26 $5.26

4.18%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.82 $2.82

34.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.79 $1.79

37.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.06 $5.06

59.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.51 $5.51

61.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.31 $2.31

61.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.43 $4.43

-23.93%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.11 $3.11

38.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.54 $8.54

53.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$14.71 $14.71

-3.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.84 $12.84

27.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.37 $4.37

4.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.94 $1.94

-24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.25 $2.25

109.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.84 $2.84

46.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.35 $3.35

-22.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.28 $3.28

-28.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.44 $2.44

-27.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.06 $3.06

-30.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$5.97 $5.97

69.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.68 $11.68

30.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.13 $2.13

32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.80 $1.80

91.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$14.80 $14.80

132.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.85 $0.85

10.59%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$48.2K $48.2K

-29.43%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.2K $24.2K

10.73%

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

$223 $223

$242 $242

-8.09%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$58.7 $58.7

0.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$68.7 $68.7

2.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$9.82 $9.82

487.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.82 $12.82

11.23%

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

$1,511 $1,511

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$24.46 $24.46

109.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$19.64 $19.64

124.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$91.0 $91.0

-4.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$65.6 $65.6

58.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,021 $1,021

90.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$867 $867

51.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,216 $1,216

201.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,016 $1,016

152.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,957 $3,957

33.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.71

1.19%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Livingston, TX: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Livingston, TX

$867 42.6% 34.1% $449

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Livingston, TX

$359 17.6% 11.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Livingston, TX

$370 18.2% 5% $18

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Livingston, TX

$315 15.5% 10% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Livingston, TX

$90 4.4% 30% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Livingston, TX

$35 1.7% 58.9% $51

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Livingston, TX

- * 0% 100%

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 $1,021 in Livingston, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 34% 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 $65.0 in Livingston, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $359 per month, with Livingston, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Livingston, TX

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,400

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Livingston, TX 270 km

From you

Austin, TX
Livingston, TX

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 Livingston, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Livingston, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Livingston, TX 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,021 in Livingston, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,037 in Livingston, TX – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,037 in Livingston, TX versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Livingston, TX but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Livingston, TX 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 Livingston, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.