Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mesa, AZ

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Mesa, AZ: $2,698 and $2,573 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Mesa, AZ
Learn more

Mesa, AZ Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Mesa, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Mesa, AZ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,573 in Mesa, AZ.

Austin, TX $2,698
Mesa, AZ $2,573

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,821 in Mesa, AZ.

Austin, TX $4,160
Mesa, AZ $3,821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,069 in Mesa, AZ.

Austin, TX $5,622
Mesa, AZ $5,069

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 5% more expensive than in Mesa, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Mesa, AZ 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.81 $19.81

4.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$79.1 $79.1

6.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$13.37 $13.37

-9.72%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.96 $5.96

-8.05%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.67 $2.67

42.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.18 $2.18

13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.95 $5.95

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.48 $7.48

18.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.94 $0.94

18.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.08 $4.08

-8.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.95 $5.95

-43.36%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.61 $4.61

-6.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.64 $13.64

-3.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.63 $13.63

3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.03 $17.03

-4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.45 $5.45

-16.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.87 $1.87

-21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.16 $4.16

13.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.29 $5.29

-21.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.33 $3.33

-22.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.02 $3.02

-22.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.17 $2.17

-18.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.60 $2.60

-17.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.95 $10.95

-7.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.24 $14.24

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.49 $2.49

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.45 $3.45

-0.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.54 $2.54

-39.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$34.80 $34.80

17.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.79 $2.79

0.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.35 $1.35

18.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$35.96 $35.96

-4.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.15 $1.15

-18.26%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$36.9K $36.9K

-7.87%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.57%

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

$223 $223

$234 $234

-4.90%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$62.5 $62.5

-5.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$72.7 $72.7

-2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.52 $41.52

38.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$11.12 $11.12

48.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.81 $12.81

11.32%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,178 $1,178

28.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$15.4K $15.4K

35.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$54.4 $54.4

-5.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.70 $43.70

1.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$98.9 $98.9

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 $114

-8.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,380 $1,380

40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,170 $1,170

12.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,300 $2,300

59.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,998 $1,998

28.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,186 $3,186

130.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,747 $2,747

13.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,310 $4,310

22.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.44

5.43%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mesa, AZ: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Mesa, AZ

$1.2K 45.5% 11.1% $147

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Mesa, AZ

$438 17% 7.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Mesa, AZ

$369 14.4% 4.9% $17

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Mesa, AZ

$334 13% 4.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Mesa, AZ

$140 5.5% 8.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mesa, AZ

$67 2.6% 22.1% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Mesa, AZ

$55 2.1% 5.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,380 in Mesa, AZ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $79.0 in Mesa, AZ. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $438, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Mesa, AZ

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

22:22 10:22 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

504,258

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Mesa, AZ 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mesa, AZ

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 Mesa, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mesa, AZ wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mesa, AZ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,380 in Mesa, AZ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,573 in Mesa, AZ – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mesa, AZ runs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Mesa, AZ 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 Mesa, AZ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.