Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Newton, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Newton, IA: $1,921 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Newton, IA
Learn more

Newton, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Newton, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Newton, IA

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 Newton, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,921 in Newton, IA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Newton, IA $1,921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,851 in Newton, IA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Newton, IA $2,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,780 in Newton, IA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Newton, IA $3,780

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 40% more expensive than in Newton, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Newton, IA 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.69 $19.69

4.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$61.6 $61.6

37.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.62 $10.62

13.65%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.95 $4.95

10.71%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.61 $2.61

45.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.91 $1.91

29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.10 $5.10

57.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.61 $7.61

16.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.90 $0.90

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.22 $3.22

15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.24 $4.24

-20.52%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.74 $2.74

57.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$6.68 $6.68

96.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.62 $12.62

12.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.80 $16.80

-2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.36 $5.36

-15.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.06 $2.06

-29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.73 $4.73

-0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.34 $4.34

-4.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.86 $1.86

38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.89 $2.89

-18.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.00 $2.00

-11.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.87 $2.87

-25.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.19 $9.19

9.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$9.90 $9.90

53.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.81 $1.81

55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$5.84 $5.84

-41.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.19 $2.19

-29.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.03 $3.03

-7.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.39 $1.39

15.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.81 $24.81

38.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.05 $1.05

-10.48%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$32.1K $32.1K

5.82%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

9.16%

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

$223 $223

$182 $182

22.63%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$62.8 $62.8

-6.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$67.1 $67.1

5.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$73.8 $73.8

-21.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.78 $14.78

-3.52%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$998 $998

51.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$19.6K $19.6K

6.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$17.97 $17.97

185.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$14.75 $14.75

199.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$80.8 $80.8

7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$99.4 $99.4

4.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$842 $842

130.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$707 $707

86.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,443 $1,443

153.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,147 $1,147

123.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,734 $2,734

169.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,560 $2,560

22.25%

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 Newton, IA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Newton, IA

$707 36.8% 46.3% $609

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Newton, IA

$377 19.6% 7.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Newton, IA

$311 16.2% 11.6% $41

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Newton, IA

$308 16% 12.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Newton, IA

$96 5% 25.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Newton, IA

$103 5.4% 19.8% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Newton, IA

$19 * 1% 67.6% $39

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 $842 in Newton, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $62.0 in Newton, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $377 per month, with Newton, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Newton, IA

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

85,146

💱 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 Newton, IA 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Newton, IA

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 Newton, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newton, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Newton, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $2,881 in Newton, IA 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 $842 in Newton, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $998 in Newton, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Newton, IA – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,921 in Newton, IA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Newton, IA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Newton, IA 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 Newton, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.