Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Luton

For one person, living is cheaper in Luton: $2,472 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, TX despite lower rent and utilities.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Luton
Learn more

Luton Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Luton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,472 in Luton.

Austin, TX $2,663
Luton $2,472

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,447 in Luton.

Austin, TX $4,133
Luton $3,447

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,422 in Luton.

Austin, TX $5,603
Luton $4,422

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 8% more expensive than in Luton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Luton 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.27 £9.96

56.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$65.0 £48.73

30.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.50 £7.13

29.68%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.87 £3.65

15.61%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.41 £1.81

54.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.69 £1.27

47.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.66 £4.25

42.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.02 £4.52

49.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.49 £1.12

-24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.89 £1.42

98.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.80 £2.10

16.43%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.18 £3.14

-0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.22 £6.17

56.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.32 £6.25

70.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.37 £12.28

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.04 £2.28

42.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.40 £1.05

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.69 £1.27

166.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.33 £2.50

30.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.43 £1.07

80.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.76 £1.32

33.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.29 £0.97

37.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.31 £0.98

69.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$23.71 £17.78

-58.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.71 £5.79

95.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.11 £2.33

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.96 £2.22

16.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.69 £2.77

-59.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$32.46 £24.35

28.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$7.09 £5.32

-61.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.00 £1.50

-17.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$15.71 £11.79

124.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.85 £1.39

-48.65%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.2K £27.9K

-3.08%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$41.1K £30.9K

-34.18%

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

$229 $229

$364 £273

-37.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$17.37 £13.03

241.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$35.09 £26.33

99.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.98 £28.49

50.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$26.03 £19.53

-37.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.36 £10.03

6.89%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,576 £1,182

-4.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$28.6K £21.5K

-25.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.0 £39.01

1.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.95 £29.22

12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$74.1 £55.6

14.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$91.2 £68.4

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,474 £1,106

29.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,272 £954

0.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,102 £1,577

74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,949 £1,462

30.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,563 £3,423

66.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,600 £4,201

-43.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,197 £2,399

60.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.21

30.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Luton: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Luton

$1.3K 51.5% 0.2% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Luton

$290 11.7% 28.4% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Luton

$416 16.8% 16.2% $58

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Luton

$250 10.1% 29.4% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Luton

$115 4.7% 9.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Luton

$65 2.6% 24.6% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Luton

$64 2.6% 9.6% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,474 in Luton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 60% 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 Luton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $290 per month, with Luton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Luton

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

16:03 4:03 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

203,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Luton 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Luton

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 Luton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luton wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luton the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,474 in Luton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,472 in Luton – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Luton runs roughly 29% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,472 in Luton versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Luton but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Luton 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 Luton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.