Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and New Bern, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in New Bern, NC: $2,058 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
100

Cost of Living Index in New Bern, NC
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New Bern, NC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

New Bern, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in New Bern, NC

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 New Bern, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,058 in New Bern, NC.

Austin, TX $2,698
New Bern, NC $2,058

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,317 in New Bern, NC.

Austin, TX $4,160
New Bern, NC $3,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,576 in New Bern, NC.

Austin, TX $5,622
New Bern, NC $4,576

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 31% more expensive than in New Bern, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, New Bern, NC 52% 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

$84.1 $84.1

0.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.93 $11.93

1.17%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.24 $5.24

4.58%

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

$2.38 $2.38

3.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.16 $6.16

30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.01 $7.01

26.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.23 $3.23

15.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.32 $5.32

-36.65%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.43 $3.43

25.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.14 $13.14

-0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.73 $10.73

31.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.34 $15.34

6.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.12 $5.12

-11.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.25 $1.25

16.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.76 $2.76

70.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.46 $5.46

-23.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.83 $2.83

-8.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.76 $2.76

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.91 $1.91

-7.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.19 $2.19

-2.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.51 $7.51

34.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.76 $12.76

19.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.85 $1.85

52.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.03 $2.03

69.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.54 $3.54

-20.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.27 $2.27

-29.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$32.74 $32.74

4.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.87 $0.87

8.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.0K $28.0K

21.46%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.6K $23.6K

13.43%

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

$223 $223

$155 $155

43.78%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$72.5 $72.5

-18.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.3 $70.3

0.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$54.1 $54.1

6.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.23 $11.23

26.98%

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

$1,511 $1,511

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$60.2 $60.2

-14.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$35.46 $35.46

24.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$86.3 $86.3

0.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$88.4 $88.4

18.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,157 $1,157

67.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$865 $865

52.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,198 $2,198

66.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,860 $1,860

37.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,070 $2,070

255.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,051 $2,051

52.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,632 $3,632

45.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.51

4.30%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for New Bern, NC: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

New Bern, NC

$865 42% 34.3% $451

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

New Bern, NC

$374 18.2% 7.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

New Bern, NC

$298 14.5% 15.5% $54

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

New Bern, NC

$308 15% 12% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

New Bern, NC

$122 5.9% 5.7% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

New Bern, NC

$77 3.7% 11.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

New Bern, NC

$15 * 0.7% 74.3% $43

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 $1,157 in New Bern, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 46% 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 $84.0 in New Bern, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $374 per month, with New Bern, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 New Bern, NC

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

10:53 10:53 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

31,291

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX New Bern, NC 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
New Bern, NC

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 New Bern, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Bern, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making New Bern, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% 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 $1,157 in New Bern, NC. 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 $2,058 in New Bern, NC – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,058 in New Bern, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in New Bern, NC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes New Bern, NC 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 New Bern, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.