Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Meridian, MS

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Meridian, MS: $2,689 and $2,675 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Meridian, MS
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Meridian, MS Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Meridian, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,675

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Meridian, MS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,675 in Meridian, MS.

Austin, TX $2,689
Meridian, MS $2,675

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,974 in Meridian, MS.

Austin, TX $4,112
Meridian, MS $3,974

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,273 in Meridian, MS.

Austin, TX $5,534
Meridian, MS $5,273

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Meridian, MS 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$26.23 $26.23

-18.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$105 $105

-16.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$10.38 $10.38

19.85%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.08 $4.08

37.25%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.30 $2.30

58.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.11 $2.11

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.85 $5.85

33.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$8.12 $8.12

7.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.91 $0.91

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.17 $4.17

-13.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.02 $2.02

73.27%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.88 $3.88

14.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$15.29 $15.29

-13.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$8.66 $8.66

60.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$15.37 $15.37

7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.98 $2.98

58.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.07 $1.07

40.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.79 $2.79

66.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.35 $4.35

3.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.98 $1.98

28.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.15 $3.15

-24.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.12 $2.12

-13.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.66 $2.66

-19.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$8.95 $8.95

12.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.60 $16.60

-10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.58 $2.58

9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.91 $3.91

-15.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.10 $2.10

-41.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$53.5 $53.5

-22.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.58 $3.58

-25.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.45 $1.45

12.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$34.67 $34.67

1.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.92 $0.92

6.52%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$33.4K $33.4K

2.80%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.03%

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

$252 $252

$264 $264

-4.37%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$71.3 $71.3

-16.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$74.3 $74.3

-6.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$42.32 $42.32

42.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$12.52 $12.52

9.82%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$596 $596

144.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.1K $24.1K

10.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$56.4 $56.4

-6.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$42.70 $42.70

7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$87.9 $87.9

-2.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$119 $119

-11.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,554 $1,554

41.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,264 $1,264

0.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,579 $2,579

55.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,112 $2,112

13.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,858 $2,858

158.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,681 $2,681

10.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$4,203 $4,203

19.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.73

1.34%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Meridian, MS: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Meridian, MS

$1.3K 47.3% 0.4% $4.7

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Meridian, MS

$370 13.9% 9.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Meridian, MS

$409 15.3% 7.2% $28

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Meridian, MS

$353 13.2% 0.9% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Meridian, MS

$138 5.2% 5.7% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Meridian, MS

$67 2.5% 23.3% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Meridian, MS

$73 2.7% 27.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,554 in Meridian, MS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 20% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $105 in Meridian, MS. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $370, with Meridian, MS cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Meridian, MS

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

38,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Meridian, MS 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Meridian, MS

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 Meridian, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 20% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,554 in Meridian, MS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $596 in Meridian, MS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $88 versus $105 in Meridian, MS. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Meridian, MS 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.

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