Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Long Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 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
201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Long Island, NY

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 Long Island, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $4,225 in Long Island, NY.

Austin, TX $2,607
Long Island, NY $4,225

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $5,930 in Long Island, NY.

Austin, TX $4,031
Long Island, NY $5,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $7,634 in Long Island, NY.

Austin, TX $5,454
Long Island, NY $7,634

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 38% less than in Long Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Long Island, NY 210% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$25.14 $25.14

-19.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$98.5 $98.5

-14.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.99 $10.99

10.28%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.08 $5.08

11.22%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.14 $2.14

71.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.58 $1.58

49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.02 $8.02

-1.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.91 $7.91

11.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.32 $1.32

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.26 $4.26

-13.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.94 $1.94

70.62%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.26 $5.26

-21.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$7.21 $7.21

80.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.89 $11.89

16.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.22 $16.22

0.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.27 $4.27

9.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.20 $1.20

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.07 $2.07

146.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.16 $6.16

-26.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.07 $1.07

187.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.18 $2.18

9.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.48 $1.48

21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.85 $2.85

-22.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.85 $11.85

-15.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.58 $17.58

-14.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.76 $1.76

65.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.09 $4.09

-18.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.97 $2.97

-58.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$130 $130

-68.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.99 $2.99

-7.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.00 $2.00

-17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.41 $24.41

44.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 $1.11

-14.41%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.5K $27.5K

24.40%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.85%

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

$223 $223

$192 $192

16.29%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$48.26 $48.26

21.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$53.7 $53.7

32.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$31.30 $31.30

69.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$102 $102

-83.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.69 $14.69

-4.29%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,444 $2,444

-40.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.5K $23.5K

-9.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$40.07 $40.07

31.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$56.7 $56.7

-24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$76.3 $76.3

13.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$155 $155

-33.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$3,189 $3,189

-33.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$2,820 $2,820

-56.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$5,670 $5,670

-31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$4,315 $4,315

-44.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$5,973 $5,973

24.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,241 $4,241

-27.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,981 $4,981

3.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.63

2.87%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8% 129% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Long Island, NY

$382 9% 6.8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Long Island, NY

$294 7% 16.7% $59

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7% 5.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5% 15.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4% 25.2% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7% 174% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $3,189 in Long Island, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $99 in Long Island, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $382, with Long Island, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

00:24 12:24 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,804,968

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Long Island, NY 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Long Island, NY

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 Long Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Long Island, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% 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 $3,189 in Long Island, NY. 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 $4,225 in Long Island, NY – Austin, TX is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 69% less than in Long Island, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.