Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Mountain Home, ID: $2,430 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID.

Austin, TX $2,698
Mountain Home, ID $2,430

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,678 in Mountain Home, ID.

Austin, TX $4,160
Mountain Home, ID $3,678

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,927 in Mountain Home, ID.

Austin, TX $5,622
Mountain Home, ID $4,927

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 11% more expensive than in Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Mountain Home, ID 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.76 $18.76

9.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$71.5 $71.5

18.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.64 $12.64

-4.51%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.55 $5.55

-1.26%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.82 $2.82

34.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.19 $2.19

12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.97 $5.97

34.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.48 $6.48

37.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.08 $1.08

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.62 $3.62

2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.26 $4.26

-20.89%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.22 $4.22

2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.80 $12.80

2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.72 $11.72

20.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.77 $16.77

-2.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.89 $4.89

-6.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.65 $1.65

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.18 $4.18

12.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.65 $4.65

-10.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.86 $2.86

-9.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.00 $3.00

-21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.19 $2.19

-19.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.56 $2.56

-16.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.22 $10.22

-1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.94 $14.94

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.99 $1.99

41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.46 $3.46

-0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.26 $2.26

-31.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.67 $2.67

4.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.73 $1.73

-7.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$26.44 $26.44

29.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.19 $1.19

-21.01%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.0K $27.0K

25.68%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.34%

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

$223 $223

$196 $196

13.84%

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

$58.9 $58.9

0.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.1 $70.1

0.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$46.47 $46.47

24.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.81 $13.81

3.26%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,333 $1,333

13.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$20.0K $20.0K

4.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$53.5 $53.5

-4.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$45.22 $45.22

-2.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$80.2 $80.2

8.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,607 $1,607

20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,155 $1,155

13.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,354 $2,354

55.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,133 $2,133

20.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,447 $2,447

200.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,373 $2,373

31.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Mountain Home, ID

$1.2K 47.5% 12.2% $161

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Mountain Home, ID

$403 16.6% 0.6% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Mountain Home, ID

$325 13.4% 7.8% $28

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Mountain Home, ID

$317 13.1% 9.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Mountain Home, ID

$135 5.5% 4.4% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mountain Home, ID

$74 3.1% 14.1% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Mountain Home, ID

$20 * 0.8% 64.8% $38

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 $1,607 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $72 in Mountain Home, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $403 per month, with Mountain Home, ID cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

19:51 7:51 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

11,656

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Mountain Home, ID 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mountain Home, ID wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mountain Home, ID the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,645 in Mountain Home, ID 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 $1,607 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Dining out is cheaper in Mountain Home, ID – a meal for two runs $72 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Mountain Home, ID is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.