Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 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
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in New York, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $4,950 in New York, NY.

Austin, TX $2,663
New York, NY $4,950

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $7,265 in New York, NY.

Austin, TX $4,133
New York, NY $7,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $9,581 in New York, NY.

Austin, TX $5,603
New York, NY $9,581

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 46% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, New York, NY 267% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$24.65 $24.65

-15.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$122 $122

-30.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.91 $13.91

-11.43%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.59 $6.59

-14.57%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.84 $3.84

-3.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.87 $2.87

-12.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.79 $7.79

3.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$9.85 $9.85

-8.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.38 $1.38

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.68 $4.68

-19.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$7.54 $7.54

-56.76%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.93 $5.93

-29.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$18.83 $18.83

-31.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$17.36 $17.36

-18.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.51 $18.51

-12.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.74 $6.74

-35.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.09 $2.09

-30.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$6.07 $6.07

-25.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.74 $6.74

-35.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.05 $4.05

-36.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.37 $4.37

-46.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.89 $2.89

-38.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.60 $2.60

-14.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$18.72 $18.72

-47.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$20.06 $20.06

-24.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.25 $3.25

-10.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.73 $3.73

-7.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.06 $3.06

-51.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$140 $140

-70.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.04 $3.04

-10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.15 $2.15

-22.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$41.82 $41.82

-15.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.12 $1.12

-15.18%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.5K $35.5K

1.68%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

3.98%

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

$229 $229

$219 $219

4.56%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$73.2 $73.2

-18.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$72.0 $72.0

-2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$123 $123

-53.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$67.7 $67.7

-75.87%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$22.85 $22.85

-37.51%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$3,333 $3,333

-54.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$60.0K $60.0K

-64.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$75.2 $75.2

-29.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$52.4 $52.4

-16.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$122 $122

-30.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$133 $133

-22.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$4,389 $4,389

-56.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$3,130 $3,130

-59.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$8,918 $8,918

-58.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$5,354 $5,354

-52.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$19.4K $19.4K

-60.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$6,806 $6,806

-53.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,343 $5,343

-4.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.82

-0.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 146% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

New York, NY

$545 11% 34.7% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 1.6% $5.9

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 14% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 34.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 96.3% $83

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 184% $108

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $4,389 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 4% 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 $122 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $545 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

18:42 6:42 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX New York, NY 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
New York, NY

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 York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in New York, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $4,389 in New York, NY. 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 $4,950 in New York, NY – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 237% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.