Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Missoula, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Missoula, MT: $2,609 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
Learn more

Missoula, MT Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Missoula, MT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT.

Austin, TX $2,689
Missoula, MT $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $4,087 in Missoula, MT.

Austin, TX $4,112
Missoula, MT $4,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,565 in Missoula, MT.

Austin, TX $5,534
Missoula, MT $5,565

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Missoula, MT 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$16.73 $16.73

27.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$75.3 $75.3

16.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.27 $9.27

34.20%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.37 $4.37

28.15%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$3.10 $3.10

17.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.34 $2.34

2.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.86 $5.86

33.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$5.93 $5.93

47.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.44 $3.44

5.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.98 $4.98

-29.72%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.27 $4.27

4.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$24.81 $24.81

-46.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$9.67 $9.67

44.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$18.98 $18.98

-13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.81 $4.81

-1.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.46 $1.46

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$6.51 $6.51

-28.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.73 $3.73

21.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.33 $2.33

9.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.96 $2.96

-19.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.41 $2.41

-23.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.90 $3.90

-45.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$10.50 $10.50

-4.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$24.82 $24.82

-40.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.98 $1.98

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.38 $4.38

-24.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$5.13 $5.13

-47.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$4.99 $4.99

-67.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$39.29 $39.29

-10.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.09 $1.09

-10.09%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$32.3K $32.3K

6.41%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

9.26%

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

$252 $252

$139 $139

81.70%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$52.7 $52.7

13.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$69.2 $69.2

0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$49.22 $49.22

22.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$22.25 $22.25

-18.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

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

$1,458 $1,458

$2,009 $2,009

-27.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$17.7K $17.7K

49.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$66.4 $66.4

-20.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$44.46 $44.46

2.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$104 $104

-18.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$149 $149

-29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,522 $1,522

44.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,324 $1,324

-4.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,992 $2,992

33.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,649 $2,649

-9.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$4,211 $4,211

75.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$3,475 $3,475

-14.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,666 $3,666

37.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.84

-0.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7% 4.3% $55

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3% 17.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Missoula, MT

$261 10% 31.7% $121

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6% 22.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3% 25.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9% 12.7% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2% 47.4% $27

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $75 in Missoula, MT. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $477, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

13:44 1:44 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

73,489

💱 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 Missoula, MT 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Missoula, MT

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 Missoula, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Missoula, MT 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 Missoula, MT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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 $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $2,009 in Missoula, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Missoula, MT – a meal for two runs $75 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Missoula, MT 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 – Missoula, MT wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.