Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Murphysboro, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Murphysboro, IL: $1,693 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
82

Cost of Living Index in Murphysboro, IL
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Murphysboro, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Murphysboro, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Murphysboro, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,693 in Murphysboro, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Murphysboro, IL $1,693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,573 in Murphysboro, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Murphysboro, IL $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,453 in Murphysboro, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Murphysboro, IL $3,453

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 59% more expensive than in Murphysboro, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Murphysboro, IL 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.97 $17.97

14.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$86.1 $86.1

-1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.82 $11.82

2.12%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.94 $6.94

-21.04%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.85 $2.85

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.40 $2.40

2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.85 $6.85

17.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.05 $8.05

10.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.81 $0.81

37.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.82 $1.82

104.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.00 $4.00

-15.75%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.20 $4.20

2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.12 $13.12

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.67 $9.67

46.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.51 $15.51

5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.74 $5.74

-20.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.59 $1.59

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.18 $4.18

12.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.08 $5.08

-18.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.07 $1.07

141.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.00 $2.00

17.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.58 $1.58

12.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.77 $0.77

177.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.14 $9.14

10.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.15 $10.15

49.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.38 $2.38

18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.18 $4.18

-17.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.16 $2.16

-28.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.03 $5.03

-44.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.57 $1.57

1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$20.95 $20.95

63.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.99 $0.99

-5.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$37.5K $37.5K

-9.40%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.27%

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

$223 $223

$189 $189

17.51%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$33.50 $33.50

75.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$38.96 $38.96

81.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$37.79 $37.79

52.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$8.84 $8.84

61.31%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,463 $1,463

3.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$30.0K $30.0K

-30.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$33.16 $33.16

54.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$34.71 $34.71

27.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$93.2 $93.2

-6.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 $114

-8.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$643 $643

201.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$560 $560

135.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$894 $894

309.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$842 $842

204.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$934 $934

687.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$993 $993

215.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,534 $2,534

108.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.55

3.66%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Murphysboro, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Murphysboro, IL

$560 33.1% 57.5% $757

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Murphysboro, IL

$337 19.9% 16.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Murphysboro, IL

$262 15.5% 25.6% $90

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Murphysboro, IL

$334 19.7% 4.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Murphysboro, IL

$124 7.3% 4.2% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Murphysboro, IL

$55 3.3% 35.7% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Murphysboro, IL

$22 * 1.3% 62.9% $36

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 $643 in Murphysboro, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 109% 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 $86.0 in Murphysboro, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $337, with Murphysboro, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Murphysboro, IL

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,500

💱 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 Murphysboro, IL 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Murphysboro, IL

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 Murphysboro, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Murphysboro, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Murphysboro, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 109% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $643 in Murphysboro, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,463 in Murphysboro, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Murphysboro, IL – a meal for two runs $86.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,693 in Murphysboro, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Murphysboro, IL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Murphysboro, IL 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 Murphysboro, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.