Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and McKinney, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,798 in McKinney, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
133

Cost of Living Index in McKinney, TX
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McKinney, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

McKinney, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,798

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,798 in McKinney, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
McKinney, TX $2,798

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,731 in McKinney, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
McKinney, TX $3,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,663 in McKinney, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
McKinney, TX $4,663

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 7% less than in McKinney, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, McKinney, TX 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.76 $18.76

8.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$60.8 $60.8

39.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.03 $11.03

9.88%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.96 $4.96

13.91%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.57 $2.57

43.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.86 $1.86

26.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.10 $6.10

29.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.54 $7.54

16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.02 $1.02

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.78 $2.78

32.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.20 $2.20

50.45%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.03 $4.03

2.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.09 $10.09

28.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$15.69 $15.69

-11.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.90 $16.90

-3.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.18 $3.18

47.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.90 $2.90

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.96 $2.96

72.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.56 $2.56

76.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.18 $2.18

41.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.09 $2.09

13.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.79 $1.79

0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.92 $2.92

-23.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.02 $10.02

-0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.45 $11.45

31.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.75 $1.75

66.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.72 $3.72

-10.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.04 $3.04

-59.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$190 $190

-78.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.03 $3.03

-8.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$15.07 $15.07

134.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.88 $0.88

7.95%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.9K $26.9K

27.20%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.7K $24.7K

8.54%

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

$223 $223

$205 $205

9.01%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$58.2 $58.2

0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$68.2 $68.2

4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$29.56 $29.56

79.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$12.81 $12.81

30.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.96 $11.96

17.56%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,174 $1,174

24.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$56.3 $56.3

-6.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$28.56 $28.56

49.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$86.1 $86.1

0.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$59.3 $59.3

74.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,675 $1,675

26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,426 $1,426

-13.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,638 $2,638

46.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,727 $1,727

39.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,318 $2,318

220.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,284 $2,284

33.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,808 $5,808

-10.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.51

4.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for McKinney, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

McKinney, TX

$1.4K 51% 15.9% $196

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

McKinney, TX

$372 13.3% 9.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

McKinney, TX

$331 11.8% 6.1% $22

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

McKinney, TX

$306 10.9% 12.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

McKinney, TX

$104 3.7% 19.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

McKinney, TX

$53 1.9% 34.1% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

McKinney, TX

$206 * 7.4% 264% $149

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,675 in McKinney, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

McKinney, TX pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $61 in McKinney, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $372 per month, with McKinney, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 McKinney, TX

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

202,690

💱 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 McKinney, TX 340 km

From you

Austin, TX
McKinney, TX

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 McKinney, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in McKinney, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,675 in McKinney, TX. 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 $2,798 in McKinney, TX – Austin, TX is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 79% less than in McKinney, TX. 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.

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