Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Messina

For one person, living is cheaper in Messina: $1,359 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Messina
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Messina Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Messina

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,359 in Messina.

Austin, TX $2,663
Messina $1,359

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,355 in Messina.

Austin, TX $4,133
Messina $2,355

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,350 in Messina.

Austin, TX $5,603
Messina $3,350

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 96% more expensive than in Messina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Messina 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$14.98 €13.33

38.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$66.3 €59.0

27.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.43 €11.05

-0.88%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.99 €1.77

182.91%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.37 €2.11

56.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.20 €1.07

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.56 €4.06

76.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.34 €2.97

169.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.26 €1.12

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.76 €1.56

113.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.84 €2.53

14.79%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.98 €2.65

39.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.27 €12.69

-9.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.64 €9.47

33.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.16 €15.26

-5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.92 €2.59

48.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.63 €1.45

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.13 €1.01

299.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.45 €3.07

25.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.64 €0.57

303.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.51 €1.34

55.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.41 €1.25

26.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.42 €0.38

428.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.73 €5.99

46.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.55 €4.94

171.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.67 €1.48

74.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.30 €2.05

50.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.71 €1.52

-12.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$42.41 €37.72

-1.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.43 €4.83

-49.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.10 €0.98

50.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$37.71 €33.54

-6.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.00 €1.78

-52.50%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.8K €31.0K

3.55%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$31.4K €27.9K

-13.74%

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

$229 $229

$171 €152

33.95%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$10.20 €9.08

482.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$26.12 €23.23

167.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$46.80 €41.63

22.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.62 €14.78

-1.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$8.70 €7.74

64.14%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$338 €301

345.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,643 €5,020

280.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$71.5 €63.6

-26.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$30.47 €27.10

43.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$86.9 €77.3

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$127 €113

-18.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$524 €466

264.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$374 €333

240.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,202 €1,069

204.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,088 €968

133.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,033 €1,808

274.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,611 €1,433

95.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,640 €1,459

212.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.39

100.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Messina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Messina

$374 27.5% 70.6% $900

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Messina

$287 21.1% 29.1% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Messina

$207 15.3% 42.2% $151

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Messina

$225 16.5% 36.5% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Messina

$142 10.5% 10.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Messina

$64 4.7% 25.2% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Messina

$60 4.4% 2.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $524 in Messina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 212% 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 $66.0 in Messina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $287 per month, with Messina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇹 Messina

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

15:59 3:59 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

217,734

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Messina 9,730 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Messina

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 Messina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Messina wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Messina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 212% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $524 in Messina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,359 in Messina – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Messina runs roughly 2% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,359 in Messina versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Messina but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Messina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Messina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.