Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and New Haven, CT

For one person, living is cheaper in New Haven, CT: $2,467 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in New Haven, CT
Learn more

New Haven, CT Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

New Haven, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in New Haven, CT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,467 in New Haven, CT.

Austin, TX $2,698
New Haven, CT $2,467

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,066 in New Haven, CT.

Austin, TX $4,160
New Haven, CT $4,066

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,665 in New Haven, CT.

Austin, TX $5,622
New Haven, CT $5,665

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in New Haven, CT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, New Haven, CT 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.82 $19.82

4.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$75.9 $75.9

11.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.98 $12.98

-7.01%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.10 $5.10

7.45%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.13 $2.13

78.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.58 $1.58

56.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.91 $5.91

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.89 $7.89

12.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.05 $1.05

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.39 $4.39

-15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$7.39 $7.39

-54.40%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.81 $5.81

-25.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.68 $10.68

22.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.49 $10.49

34.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.09 $17.09

-4.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.34 $5.34

-14.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.72 $1.72

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.34 $3.34

41.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.05 $3.05

36.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.15 $2.15

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.45 $2.45

-4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.72 $2.72

-34.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.84 $2.84

-24.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.87 $11.87

-14.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$17.13 $17.13

-11.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.74 $1.74

62.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.79 $2.79

23.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.73 $1.73

-10.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$63.0 $63.0

-34.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.93 $2.93

-4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.02 $2.02

-20.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.21 $24.21

41.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.09 $1.09

-13.76%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

23.56%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.18%

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

$223 $223

$176 $176

26.66%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$36.44 $36.44

61.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$57.6 $57.6

22.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$31.68 $31.68

82.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.68 $12.68

12.46%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,177 $2,177

-30.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.1K $24.1K

-13.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$38.10 $38.10

34.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$16.58 $16.58

166.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$76.6 $76.6

13.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$159 $159

-34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,844 $1,844

5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,195 $1,195

10.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,141 $4,141

-11.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,825 $2,825

-9.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,021 $3,021

143.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,657 $2,657

17.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,102 $4,102

28.89%

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 Haven, CT: 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 Haven, CT

$1.2K 48.4% 9.2% $122

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

New Haven, CT

$413 16.8% 1.9% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

New Haven, CT

$270 10.9% 23.4% $82

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

New Haven, CT

$319 12.9% 8.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

New Haven, CT

$131 5.3% 1.2% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

New Haven, CT

$57 2.3% 33.8% $29

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

New Haven, CT

$83 3.4% 43.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,844 in New Haven, CT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 29% 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 $76.0 in New Haven, CT. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $413, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 New Haven, CT

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

02:28 2:28 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

124,001

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX New Haven, CT 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
New Haven, CT

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 Haven, CT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Haven, CT wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making New Haven, CT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% 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 $1,844 in New Haven, CT. 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 $2,467 in New Haven, CT – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in New Haven, CT runs roughly 54% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. New Haven, CT is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but New Haven, CT delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,467 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes New Haven, CT hard to pass up.

Expats usually find New Haven, CT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.