Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Monticello, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Monticello, AR: $2,407 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Monticello, AR
Learn more

Monticello, AR Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monticello, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,407

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Monticello, AR

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,407 in Monticello, AR.

Austin, TX $2,698
Monticello, AR $2,407

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,453 in Monticello, AR.

Austin, TX $4,160
Monticello, AR $3,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,499 in Monticello, AR.

Austin, TX $5,622
Monticello, AR $4,499

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 12% more expensive than in Monticello, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Monticello, AR 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.26 $18.26

12.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$74.9 $74.9

12.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.03 $12.03

0.33%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.50 $5.50

-0.36%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.35 $2.35

61.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.04 $2.04

21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.13 $7.13

12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.09 $8.09

9.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.90 $0.90

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.20 $1.20

210.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.08 $2.08

62.02%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.71 $3.71

16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.88 $8.88

47.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.69 $6.69

111.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$8.85 $8.85

84.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.38 $3.38

34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.29 $1.29

13.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.69 $2.69

75.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.17 $2.17

91.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.26 $3.26

-20.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.31 $2.31

1.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.84 $1.84

-3.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.23 $2.23

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.47 $9.47

6.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.74 $12.74

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.78 $1.78

58.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.60 $1.60

115.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.30 $2.30

-33.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.96 $1.96

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.39 $1.39

15.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$20.32 $20.32

69.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.96 $0.96

-2.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

22.99%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.59%

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

$223 $223

$190 $190

17.26%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$40.07 $40.07

46.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$45.59 $45.59

54.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.43 $42.43

35.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$10.98 $10.98

29.87%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,219 $1,219

23.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.8K $24.8K

-15.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$23.74 $23.74

115.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$33.03 $33.03

33.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$69.0 $69.0

26.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$150 $150

-30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,584 $1,584

22.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,345 $1,345

-2.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,702 $2,702

35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,132 $2,132

20.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,660 $2,660

176.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,221 $2,221

40.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.6

2.88%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Monticello, AR: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Monticello, AR

$1.3K 55.9% 2.1% $28

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Monticello, AR

$263 10.9% 35.2% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Monticello, AR

$276 11.5% 21.8% $77

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Monticello, AR

$318 13.2% 9.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Monticello, AR

$124 5.2% 3.8% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Monticello, AR

$64 2.7% 25.3% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Monticello, AR

$18 * 0.8% 68.8% $40

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 $1,584 in Monticello, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $75.0 in Monticello, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $263 per month, with Monticello, AR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Monticello, AR

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

11,414

💱 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 Monticello, AR 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Monticello, AR

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 Monticello, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monticello, AR wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monticello, AR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,611 in Monticello, AR 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 $1,584 in Monticello, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,219 in Monticello, AR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Monticello, AR – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,407 in Monticello, AR versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Monticello, AR but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monticello, AR 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 Monticello, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.