Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Malden, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,435 in Malden, MA, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
167

Cost of Living Index in Malden, MA
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Malden, MA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Malden, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Malden, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,435 in Malden, MA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Malden, MA $3,435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,750 in Malden, MA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Malden, MA $4,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,065 in Malden, MA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Malden, MA $6,065

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 24% less than in Malden, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Malden, MA 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.65 $19.65

3.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$95.0 $95.0

-10.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$13.72 $13.72

-11.66%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.31 $5.31

6.40%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.97 $2.97

23.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.23 $2.23

5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.68 $5.68

38.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.10 $8.10

8.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.25 $1.25

-8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.90 $3.90

-5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.49 $5.49

-39.71%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.77 $4.77

-13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.32 $12.32

5.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.03 $14.03

-1.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.57 $17.57

-7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.63 $6.63

-29.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.72 $1.72

-15.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.52 $5.52

-7.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.50 $5.50

-17.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.42 $4.42

-30.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.89 $1.89

25.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.59 $2.59

-30.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.23 $2.23

-0.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$13.06 $13.06

-23.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.43 $13.43

12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.17 $2.17

34.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.40 $4.40

-24.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.55 $2.55

-52.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$88.3 $88.3

-54.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.53 $2.53

9.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.79 $1.79

-7.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$27.47 $27.47

28.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.09 $1.09

-12.84%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

22.43%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.08%

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

$223 $223

$247 $247

-9.62%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$54.2 $54.2

7.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$86.1 $86.1

-17.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$34.66 $34.66

53.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.85 $15.85

-11.29%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,848 $1,848

-21.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$29.4K $29.4K

-27.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$56.0 $56.0

-6.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$37.57 $37.57

13.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$79.5 $79.5

8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$99.9 $99.9

3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,422 $2,422

-12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,975 $1,975

-37.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,534 $3,534

9.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,834 $2,834

-15.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,644 $4,644

11.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.64

2.71%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malden, MA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Malden, MA

$2K 57.5% 60.5% $744

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Malden, MA

$446 13% 8.9% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Malden, MA

$387 11.3% 9.8% $34

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Malden, MA

$327 9.5% 5.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Malden, MA

$123 3.6% 4.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Malden, MA

$66 1.9% 18.2% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Malden, MA

$110 3.2% 94.7% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,422 in Malden, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 12% 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 $95 in Malden, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $446 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Malden, MA

🕒 Local time

11:35 11:35 AM

12:35 12:35 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

59,450

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Malden, MA 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Malden, MA

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 Malden, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Malden, MA. 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 12% 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 $2,422 in Malden, MA. 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 $3,435 in Malden, MA – Austin, TX is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in Malden, MA. 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Malden, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.