Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lumberton, NC: $2,591 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Lumberton, NC
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Lumberton, NC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Lumberton, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lumberton, 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 Lumberton, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,591 in Lumberton, NC.

Austin, TX $2,689
Lumberton, NC $2,591

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,918 in Lumberton, NC.

Austin, TX $4,112
Lumberton, NC $3,918

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,245 in Lumberton, NC.

Austin, TX $5,534
Lumberton, NC $5,245

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 4% more expensive than in Lumberton, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lumberton, NC 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$15.80 $15.80

35.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$103 $103

-14.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.87 $9.87

26.04%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.79 $4.79

16.91%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$3.09 $3.09

18.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.14 $2.14

11.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$6.03 $6.03

29.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$7.03 $7.03

24.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.84 $0.84

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.44 $1.44

151.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.37 $2.37

47.68%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$5.95 $5.95

-25.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$18.99 $18.99

-30.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$17.14 $17.14

-18.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$27.65 $27.65

-40.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.71 $3.71

27.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.20 $1.20

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.24 $3.24

43.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.40 $4.40

2.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.44 $2.44

4.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.88 $3.88

-38.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.92 $1.92

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.02 $2.02

5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.00 $9.00

11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.92 $14.92

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.49 $1.49

89.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.99 $3.99

-17.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.84 $1.84

-33.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$67.1 $67.1

-38.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.67 $3.67

-26.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.21 $1.21

34.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$28.17 $28.17

24.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.05 $1.05

-6.67%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$31.0K $31.0K

11.07%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

6.13%

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

$252 $252

$150 $150

68.18%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$75.7 $75.7

-20.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$70.3 $70.3

-0.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$37.01 $37.01

63.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$14.22 $14.22

-3.31%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$446 $446

226.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$30.5K $30.5K

-12.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$60.8 $60.8

-13.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$40.35 $40.35

13.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$103 $103

-16.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$139 $139

-23.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,554 $1,554

41.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,277 $1,277

-0.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,600 $2,600

53.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,130 $2,130

12.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,953 $2,953

149.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,263 $2,263

30.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$2,358 $2,358

113.90%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lumberton, NC: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Lumberton, NC

$1.3K 49.3% 0.7% $8.4

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Lumberton, NC

$435 16.8% 6.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Lumberton, NC

$296 11.4% 22.5% $86

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Lumberton, NC

$279 10.8% 21.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Lumberton, NC

$154 6% 18.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Lumberton, NC

$65 2.5% 25.5% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Lumberton, NC

$84 3.3% 47.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,554 in Lumberton, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $103 in Lumberton, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $435 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lumberton, NC

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

19:48 7:48 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

19,025

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lumberton, NC 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lumberton, 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 Lumberton, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lumberton, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lumberton, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,554 in Lumberton, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,591 in Lumberton, NC – Lumberton, NC is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 38% less than in Lumberton, NC. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lumberton, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Lumberton, NC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Lumberton, NC wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.