Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Montpellier

For one person, living is cheaper in Montpellier: $1,939 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
95

Cost of Living Index in Montpellier
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Montpellier Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Montpellier

🇫🇷 France

$1,939

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,939 in Montpellier.

Austin, TX $2,704
Montpellier $1,939

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,940 in Montpellier.

Austin, TX $4,133
Montpellier $2,940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,942 in Montpellier.

Austin, TX $5,562
Montpellier $3,942

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 39% more expensive than in Montpellier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Montpellier 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$16.76 €14.96

20.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$73.0 €65.2

16.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$15.47 €13.80

-20.17%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.58 €3.19

52.79%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.00 €2.68

27.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.97 €1.76

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.52 €4.93

46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.55 €4.06

97.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.34 €1.19

-15.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.24 €2.00

68.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.73 €2.44

19.05%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.71 €3.31

11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$18.80 €16.78

-30.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$13.88 €12.39

3.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$24.64 €21.99

-35.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.98 €2.66

46.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.38 €2.12

-39.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.94 €2.63

54.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.00 €3.57

4.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.33 €2.08

12.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.86 €2.55

-17.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.72 €1.53

2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.65 €0.58

232.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$14.21 €12.68

-30.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.77 €6.94

89.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.73 €3.33

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.83 €2.53

22.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.01 €1.79

-25.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$1.09 €0.97

3616.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.92 €4.39

-45.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.63 €1.46

-3.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$33.02 €29.47

6.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.13 €1.91

-53.52%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$35.2K €31.4K

1.72%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$35.3K €31.5K

-23.08%

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

$219 $219

$218 €195

0.56%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$16.47 €14.70

252.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$32.00 €28.56

113.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$34.67 €30.94

67.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$14.29 €12.75

3.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$14.26 €12.73

-0.91%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$756 €674

99.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$13.2K €11.7K

62.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$90.4 €80.6

-42.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$65.7 €58.6

-32.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$106 €94.4

-19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$177 €158

-40.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$912 €814

111.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$728 €649

74.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,546 €1,380

137.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,149 €1,026

119.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,064 €4,519

50.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,662 €3,268

-12.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,743 €2,447

86.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.81

78.22%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Montpellier

$728 37.4% 42.8% $545

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Montpellier

$389 20% 3.3% $13

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Montpellier

$280 14.4% 19.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Montpellier

$267 13.7% 22.9% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Montpellier

$198 10.2% 53.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Montpellier

$63 3.3% 26.6% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Montpellier

$22 1.1% 61.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $912 in Montpellier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 86% 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 $73.0 in Montpellier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $389 per month, with Montpellier cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇫🇷 Montpellier

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

07:10 7:10 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

302,454

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Montpellier 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Montpellier

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 Montpellier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpellier wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montpellier the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 86% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $912 in Montpellier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,939 in Montpellier – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Montpellier runs roughly 3617% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,939 in Montpellier versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montpellier but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Montpellier the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montpellier delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,939 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montpellier hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Montpellier 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 Montpellier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.