Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and North East, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in North East, MD: $2,506 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in North East, MD
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North East, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

North East, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in North East, MD

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 North East, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,506 in North East, MD.

Austin, TX $2,698
North East, MD $2,506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,589 in North East, MD.

Austin, TX $4,160
North East, MD $3,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,672 in North East, MD.

Austin, TX $5,622
North East, MD $4,672

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 8% more expensive than in North East, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, North East, MD 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.08 $15.08

36.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$74.6 $74.6

13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.23 $10.23

17.99%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.24 $5.24

4.58%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.33 $2.33

63.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.75 $1.75

41.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.90 $6.90

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.47 $4.47

98.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.17 $1.17

-5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.94 $2.94

26.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.68 $2.68

25.75%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.82 $3.82

13.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.38 $9.38

39.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.59 $9.59

47.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.48 $18.48

-11.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.64 $4.64

-1.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.32 $1.32

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.34 $4.34

8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.00 $4.00

3.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.56 $2.56

0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.47 $2.47

-4.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.55 $2.55

-30.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.79 $1.79

19.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$13.99 $13.99

-27.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.44 $14.44

5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.43 $2.43

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.64 $3.64

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.26 $2.26

-31.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.03 $5.03

-44.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.12 $1.12

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$23.07 $23.07

48.85%

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

$33.3K $33.3K

2.19%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

5.27%

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

$223 $223

$294 $294

-24.23%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$49.39 $49.39

19.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$60.8 $60.8

16.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$38.46 $38.46

50.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$16.64 $16.64

-14.30%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,948 $1,948

-22.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$27.8K $27.8K

-24.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$46.28 $46.28

10.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.54 $39.54

11.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$86.4 $86.4

0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$132 $132

-20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,767 $1,767

9.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,241 $1,241

6.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,682 $2,682

36.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,984 $1,984

29.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,643 $2,643

178.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,189 $2,189

42.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.46

5.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for North East, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

North East, MD

$1.2K 49.5% 5.7% $76

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

North East, MD

$360 14.4% 11.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

North East, MD

$404 16.1% 14.7% $52

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

North East, MD

$274 10.9% 21.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

North East, MD

$137 5.5% 5.9% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

North East, MD

$72 2.9% 16.8% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

North East, MD

$20 * 0.8% 66.1% $38

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 $1,767 in North East, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $75.0 in North East, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $360 per month, with North East, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 North East, MD

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,600

💱 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 North East, MD 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
North East, MD

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 North East, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North East, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making North East, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,760 in North East, MD 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 $1,767 in North East, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,948 in North East, MD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in North East, MD – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. North East, MD is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 North East, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.