Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Motherwell

For one person, living is cheaper in Motherwell: $2,285 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Motherwell
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Motherwell Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Motherwell

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,285 in Motherwell.

Austin, TX $2,663
Motherwell $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,349 in Motherwell.

Austin, TX $4,133
Motherwell $3,349

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,414 in Motherwell.

Austin, TX $5,603
Motherwell $4,414

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 17% more expensive than in Motherwell, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Motherwell 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$20.07 £15.06

3.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$74.0 £55.5

14.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.64 £7.98

15.79%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.69 £3.52

20.04%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.15 £1.61

73.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.76 £1.32

42.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.41 £4.06

48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.67 £5.00

35.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.47 £1.10

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.63 £1.22

130.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.19 £1.64

48.86%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.80 £2.85

9.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.14 £6.86

41.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.13 £6.85

55.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.65 £12.49

-2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.81 £2.11

54.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.52 £1.14

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.88 £2.16

56.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.16 £2.37

37.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.97 £1.48

30.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.42 £1.07

65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.19 £0.90

49.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.56 £1.17

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$20.95 £15.71

-52.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.45 £7.84

44.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.13 £2.35

-6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.41 £2.56

1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.49 £2.62

-57.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$97.5 £73.1

-57.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.98 £4.49

-54.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.14 £0.86

45.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$28.19 £21.15

25.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.09 £1.57

-54.55%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$38.5K £28.9K

-6.33%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$39.9K £30.0K

-32.19%

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

$229 $229

$241 £181

-4.95%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$19.77 £14.83

200.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$41.45 £31.10

68.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$46.34 £34.77

23.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.65 £4.99

145.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.06 £9.05

18.41%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$910 £683

65.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$17.6K £13.2K

21.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$117 £87.7

-54.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$48.37 £36.29

-9.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$104 £77.7

-18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$90.2 £67.6

14.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,218 £914

56.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,019 £765

25.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,124 £1,593

72.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,643 £1,233

54.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,030 £3,774

51.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,920 £2,941

-19.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

35.80%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Motherwell: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Motherwell

$1K 44.6% 20% $255

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Motherwell

$304 13.3% 24.9% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Motherwell

$302 13.2% 15.7% $56

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Motherwell

$305 13.3% 13.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Motherwell

$162 7.1% 26.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Motherwell

$70 3.1% 17.9% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Motherwell

$123 5.4% 110% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,218 in Motherwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $74.0 in Motherwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $304 per month, with Motherwell cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Motherwell

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

19:16 7:16 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

32,120

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Motherwell 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Motherwell

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 Motherwell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Motherwell wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Motherwell the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,428 in Motherwell 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,218 in Motherwell. 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 $2,285 in Motherwell – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Motherwell runs roughly 134% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,285 in Motherwell versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Motherwell but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Motherwell 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 Motherwell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.