Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Norfolk

For one person, living is cheaper in Norfolk: $2,351 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Norfolk
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Norfolk Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Norfolk

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Norfolk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,351 in Norfolk.

Austin, TX $2,663
Norfolk $2,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,303 in Norfolk.

Austin, TX $4,133
Norfolk $3,303

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,255 in Norfolk.

Austin, TX $5,603
Norfolk $4,255

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Norfolk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Norfolk 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$21.96 £16.47

-5.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.6 £55.2

14.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.31 £8.48

8.93%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.89 £3.67

15.13%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.80 £2.10

32.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.62 £1.21

54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.66 £5.00

20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.24 £3.93

71.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.67 £1.25

-32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.53 £1.15

145.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.15 £1.61

51.63%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.43 £3.33

-5.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.78 £7.34

31.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.70 £6.53

62.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.67 £11.01

10.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.86 £2.14

51.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.52 £1.14

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.93 £2.20

53.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.52 £3.39

-3.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.55 £1.16

66.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.49 £1.12

57.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.15 £0.86

54.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.76 £1.32

26.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$23.56 £17.68

-58.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.58 £7.94

42.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.15 £2.36

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.10 £2.33

11.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.69 £2.02

-44.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$95.6 £71.8

-56.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.93 £2.95

-30.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.35 £1.01

22.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$18.83 £14.13

87.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.01 £1.51

-52.74%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$38.3K £28.7K

-5.81%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.2K £30.2K

-32.65%

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

$229 $229

$313 £235

-26.95%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$20.07 £15.06

195.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$45.75 £34.32

52.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$45.42 £34.08

26.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.98 £8.99

19.20%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,260 £945

19.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.3K £9,220

74.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$115 £86.4

-54.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$50.1 £37.55

-12.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$113 £84.6

-24.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$105 £78.9

-2.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,105 £829

72.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$974 £731

30.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,579 £1,185

132.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,347 £1,010

88.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,002 £3,753

52.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,908 £2,932

-19.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,332 £1,749

119.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.04

34.72%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Norfolk: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Norfolk

$974 41.4% 23.6% $300

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Norfolk

$309 13.2% 23.6% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Norfolk

$379 16.1% 5.9% $21

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Norfolk

$330 14% 6.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Norfolk

$172 7.3% 34.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Norfolk

$69 3% 19.1% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Norfolk

$117 5% 99.5% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,105 in Norfolk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 120% 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 $74.0 in Norfolk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $309 per month, with Norfolk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Norfolk

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

17:45 5:45 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

19,256

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Norfolk 7,920 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Norfolk

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 Norfolk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Norfolk wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Norfolk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 120% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,105 in Norfolk. 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 $2,351 in Norfolk – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Norfolk runs roughly 129% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,351 in Norfolk versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Norfolk but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Norfolk 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Norfolk are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Norfolk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.