Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Moab, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Moab, UT: $2,091 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Moab, UT
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Moab, UT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Moab, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,091

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Moab, UT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,091 in Moab, UT.

Austin, TX $2,698
Moab, UT $2,091

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,341 in Moab, UT.

Austin, TX $4,160
Moab, UT $3,341

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,591 in Moab, UT.

Austin, TX $5,622
Moab, UT $4,591

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 29% more expensive than in Moab, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Moab, UT 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.16 $20.16

2.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$58.9 $58.9

43.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.13 $14.13

-14.58%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.94 $4.94

10.93%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.56 $2.56

48.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.92 $1.92

28.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.93 $5.93

35.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.16 $6.16

44.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.97 $0.97

14.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.10 $3.10

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.74 $1.74

93.68%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.62 $2.62

64.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.74 $8.74

50.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.08 $9.08

55.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.12 $15.12

8.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.22 $5.22

-12.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.54 $1.54

-5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.27 $3.27

44.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.72 $3.72

11.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.13 $2.13

21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.14 $2.14

9.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.02 $2.02

-12.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.21 $2.21

-3.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.10 $11.10

-9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.17 $13.17

15.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.04 $2.04

38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.88 $3.88

-11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.83 $2.83

-43.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$41.4K $41.4K

-17.89%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$38.4K $38.4K

-30.27%

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

$223 $223

$171 $171

30.30%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$68.7 $68.7

-14.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$72.4 $72.4

-2.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.70 $14.70

-2.99%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,139 $1,139

32.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$50.2 $50.2

2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$26.76 $26.76

65.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$81.9 $81.9

6.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$98.5 $98.5

5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,106 $1,106

75.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$965 $965

36.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,313 $2,313

58.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,163 $2,163

18.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$4,892 $4,892

50.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$4,451 $4,451

-29.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.91

-1.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Moab, UT: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Moab, UT

$965 46.2% 26.7% $351

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Moab, UT

$332 15.9% 18.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Moab, UT

$312 14.9% 11.4% $40

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Moab, UT

$323 15.4% 7.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Moab, UT

$116 5.5% 10.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Moab, UT

$29 * 1.4% 65.9% $57

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Moab, UT

$14 * 0.7% 75.6% $44

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,106 in Moab, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $59.0 in Moab, UT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $332 per month, with Moab, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Moab, UT

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

21:39 9:39 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,300

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Moab, UT 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Moab, UT

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 Moab, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moab, UT wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Moab, UT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,137 in Moab, UT 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,106 in Moab, UT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,139 in Moab, UT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Moab, UT – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,091 in Moab, UT versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Moab, UT but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Moab, UT the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Moab, UT delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,091 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Moab, UT hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Moab, UT are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Moab, UT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.