Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Madison Heights, MI

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Madison Heights, MI: $2,607 and $2,628 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Madison Heights, MI
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Madison Heights, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Madison Heights, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Madison Heights, MI

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 Madison Heights, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,628 in Madison Heights, MI.

Austin, TX $2,607
Madison Heights, MI $2,628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,805 in Madison Heights, MI.

Austin, TX $4,031
Madison Heights, MI $3,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,982 in Madison Heights, MI.

Austin, TX $5,454
Madison Heights, MI $4,982

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Madison Heights, MI; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Madison Heights, MI 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.73 $17.73

14.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$62.3 $62.3

35.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.01 $11.01

10.08%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.48 $5.48

3.10%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.58 $2.58

42.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.99 $1.99

18.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.12 $6.12

28.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.83 $7.83

12.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.81 $0.81

40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.24 $3.24

13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.45 $4.45

-25.62%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.79 $3.79

9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.11 $13.11

-0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.27 $11.27

22.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.56 $16.56

-1.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.98 $4.98

-5.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.56 $1.56

-7.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.16 $4.16

22.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.97 $3.97

13.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.57 $2.57

19.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.01 $3.01

-20.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.17 $2.17

-17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.09 $2.09

6.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.05 $10.05

-0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.20 $15.20

-0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.55 $2.55

14.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.49 $3.49

-4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.97 $1.97

-38.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$64.9 $64.9

-37.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.72 $2.72

2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.51 $1.51

9.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.70 $23.70

49.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.03 $1.03

-7.77%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

0.46%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.41%

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

$223 $223

$218 $218

2.39%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.4 $59.4

-1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$67.9 $67.9

4.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$42.05 $42.05

26.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.78 $11.78

19.35%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,096 $1,096

33.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$18.8K $18.8K

13.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$58.1 $58.1

-9.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$40.03 $40.03

6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$95.5 $95.5

-9.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$118 $118

-12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,575 $1,575

34.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,302 $1,302

-5.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,534 $2,534

52.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,159 $2,159

11.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,685 $2,685

176.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,422 $2,422

26.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.49

5.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Madison Heights, MI: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Madison Heights, MI

$1.3K 49.5% 5.8% $71

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Madison Heights, MI

$387 14.7% 5.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Madison Heights, MI

$345 13.1% 2.2% $7.6

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Madison Heights, MI

$305 11.6% 12.4% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Madison Heights, MI

$140 5.3% 9.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Madison Heights, MI

$66 2.5% 19.1% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Madison Heights, MI

$83 3.2% 47.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,575 in Madison Heights, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $62 in Madison Heights, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $387 per month, with Madison Heights, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Madison Heights, MI

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

19:00 7:00 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

30,042

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Madison Heights, MI 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Madison Heights, MI

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 Madison Heights, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,942 in Madison Heights, MI to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,575 in Madison Heights, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,096 in Madison Heights, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Madison Heights, MI – a meal for two runs $62 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.