Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Montgomery, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montgomery, AL: $2,354 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
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Montgomery, AL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Montgomery, AL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL.

Austin, TX $2,663
Montgomery, AL $2,354

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,197 in Montgomery, AL.

Austin, TX $4,133
Montgomery, AL $3,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,039 in Montgomery, AL.

Austin, TX $5,603
Montgomery, AL $4,039

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Montgomery, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Montgomery, AL 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.11 $16.11

28.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$55.6 $55.6

52.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.30 $10.30

19.61%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.36 $5.36

5.04%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.62 $2.62

41.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.07 $2.07

20.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.37 $4.37

84.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.89 $4.89

84.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.85 $0.85

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.59 $3.59

4.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.05 $2.05

59.02%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.14 $3.14

32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.96 $7.96

62.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.39 $7.39

91.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.27 $14.27

13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.98 $3.98

8.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.28 $1.28

14.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.96 $1.96

130.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.16 $4.16

4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.11 $3.11

-17.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.66 $2.66

-11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.09 $2.09

-14.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.18 $2.18

1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.89 $8.89

11.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.07 $15.07

0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.94 $1.94

50.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.86 $3.86

-10.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.04 $2.04

-26.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$45.02 $45.02

-7.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.53 $2.53

7.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.60 $1.60

3.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$25.54 $25.54

38.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.90 $0.90

5.56%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$31.7K $31.7K

13.61%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

4.35%

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

$229 $229

$309 $309

-25.94%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$50.7 $50.7

17.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$72.5 $72.5

-3.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.83 $37.83

51.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$28.52 $28.52

-42.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.81 $9.81

45.57%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,380 $1,380

9.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$13.7K $13.7K

56.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$48.94 $48.94

7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.52 $35.52

23.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$86.2 $86.2

-1.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$96.5 $96.5

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,287 $1,287

48.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,084 $1,084

17.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,589 $1,589

130.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,455 $1,455

74.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,368 $1,368

456.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,309 $1,309

141.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,632 $3,632

41.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.54

3.82%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montgomery, AL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Montgomery, AL

$1.1K 46% 14.9% $190

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Montgomery, AL

$322 13.7% 20.5% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Montgomery, AL

$432 18.4% 20.7% $74

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Montgomery, AL

$274 11.7% 22.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Montgomery, AL

$120 5.1% 6.1% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Montgomery, AL

$57 2.4% 33% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Montgomery, AL

$64 2.7% 8.6% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,287 in Montgomery, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 41% 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 $56.0 in Montgomery, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $322 per month, with Montgomery, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

200,603

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Montgomery, AL 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Montgomery, AL

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 Montgomery, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montgomery, AL wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montgomery, AL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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 $1,287 in Montgomery, AL. 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 $2,354 in Montgomery, AL – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Montgomery, AL runs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,354 in Montgomery, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Montgomery, AL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Montgomery, AL 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 Montgomery, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.