Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,972 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,972 in Madison, WI.

Austin, TX $2,607
Madison, WI $2,972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,286 in Madison, WI.

Austin, TX $4,031
Madison, WI $4,286

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,600 in Madison, WI.

Austin, TX $5,454
Madison, WI $5,600

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 12% less than in Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Madison, WI 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.66 $19.66

3.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$68.0 $68.0

24.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.89 $12.89

-5.97%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.77 $5.77

-2.08%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.10 $3.10

18.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.52 $2.52

-6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.14 $7.14

10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.85 $7.85

12.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.98 $0.98

16.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.52 $3.52

4.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.27 $4.27

-22.48%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.71 $3.71

11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.06 $15.06

-13.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.03 $13.03

6.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$20.45 $20.45

-20.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.77 $4.77

-1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.59 $1.59

-8.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.14 $5.14

-0.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.96 $4.96

-8.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.89 $2.89

6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.12 $3.12

-23.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.07 $2.07

-13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.46 $2.46

-9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.96 $10.96

-9.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.40 $15.40

-2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.77 $2.77

5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.43 $4.43

-24.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.94 $1.94

-37.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$66.2 $66.2

-38.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.10 $4.10

-32.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.97 $1.97

-16.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$43.65 $43.65

-18.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.05 $1.05

-9.52%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.1K $30.1K

13.52%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.86%

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

$223 $223

$269 $269

-17.17%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$52.8 $52.8

10.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$81.5 $81.5

-12.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$54.2 $54.2

-2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$10.52 $10.52

59.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.80 $14.80

-5.00%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,621 $1,621

-9.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.5K $23.5K

-9.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$65.0 $65.0

-19.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$50.5 $50.5

-15.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$106 $106

-18.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$123 $123

-15.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,807 $1,807

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,469 $1,469

-16.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,184 $3,184

21.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,432 $2,432

-1.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,596 $4,596

61.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,418 $2,418

26.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,521 $4,521

14.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.69

1.94%

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, WI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Madison, WI

$1.5K 49.4% 19.4% $238

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Madison, WI

$433 14.6% 5.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Madison, WI

$404 13.6% 14.5% $51

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Madison, WI

$339 11.4% 2.6% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Madison, WI

$155 5.2% 20.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Madison, WI

$84 2.8% 3.3% $2.7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Madison, WI

$88 3% 55.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,807 in Madison, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 15% 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 $68 in Madison, WI. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $433, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

20:19 8:19 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

248,951

💱 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 Madison, WI 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Madison, WI

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, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Madison, WI. 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 15% 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 $1,807 in Madison, WI. 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 $2,972 in Madison, WI – Austin, TX is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 39% less than in Madison, WI. 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.