Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Merrillville, IN

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Merrillville, IN: $2,607 and $2,522 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Merrillville, IN
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Merrillville, IN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Merrillville, IN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,522 in Merrillville, IN.

Austin, TX $2,607
Merrillville, IN $2,522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,513 in Merrillville, IN.

Austin, TX $4,031
Merrillville, IN $3,513

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,505 in Merrillville, IN.

Austin, TX $5,454
Merrillville, IN $4,505

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in Merrillville, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Merrillville, IN 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$14.98 $14.98

35.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$55.8 $55.8

51.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.94 $9.94

21.93%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.48 $4.48

26.12%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.27 $2.27

62.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.22 $2.22

6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.40 $4.40

78.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.96 $5.96

47.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.73 $0.73

56.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.19 $3.19

15.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.72 $4.72

-29.87%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.72 $4.72

-12.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.08 $11.08

17.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.40 $9.40

47.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$22.23 $22.23

-26.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.78 $5.78

-18.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.12 $1.12

29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.39 $4.39

16.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.68 $5.68

-20.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.57 $3.57

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.34 $4.34

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.44 $2.44

-26.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.22 $1.22

81.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.07 $11.07

-9.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.88 $11.88

26.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.99 $1.99

46.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.46 $3.46

-3.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.75 $1.75

-30.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$67.2 $67.2

-39.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.91 $4.91

-43.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.81 $1.81

-8.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$50.1 $50.1

-29.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.92 $0.92

3.26%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

25.43%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.98%

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

$223 $223

$233 $233

-4.44%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$50.5 $50.5

15.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$59.8 $59.8

19.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$37.20 $37.20

42.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.85 $14.85

-5.32%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,353 $1,353

7.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.8K $23.8K

-10.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$53.2 $53.2

-1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$40.27 $40.27

6.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$109 $109

-20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$95.5 $95.5

8.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,400 $1,400

50.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,244 $1,244

-1.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,523 $2,523

53.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,796 $1,796

34.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,837 $2,837

161.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,031 $2,031

50.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.53

4.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Merrillville, IN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Merrillville, IN

$1.2K 49.3% 1.1% $14

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Merrillville, IN

$390 15.5% 4.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Merrillville, IN

$344 13.6% 2.6% $9

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Merrillville, IN

$255 10.1% 26.7% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Merrillville, IN

$134 5.3% 4.3% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Merrillville, IN

$67 2.7% 17.6% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Merrillville, IN

$88 3.5% 56.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,400 in Merrillville, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $56 in Merrillville, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $390 per month, with Merrillville, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

36,444

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Merrillville, IN 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Merrillville, IN

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 Merrillville, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Merrillville, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Merrillville, IN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,783 in Merrillville, IN 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 $1,400 in Merrillville, IN. 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 $2,522 in Merrillville, IN – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 40% less than in Merrillville, IN. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Merrillville, IN gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Merrillville, IN is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.