Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Northfield, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Northfield, MN: $2,251 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Northfield, MN
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Northfield, MN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Northfield, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Northfield, MN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,251 in Northfield, MN.

Austin, TX $2,607
Northfield, MN $2,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,397 in Northfield, MN.

Austin, TX $4,031
Northfield, MN $3,397

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,542 in Northfield, MN.

Austin, TX $5,454
Northfield, MN $4,542

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 16% more expensive than in Northfield, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Northfield, MN 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$22.75 $22.75

-10.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$69.6 $69.6

21.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.69 $12.69

-4.49%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.86 $4.86

16.26%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.57 $2.57

43.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.52 $1.52

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.51 $4.51

74.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.05 $6.05

45.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.08 $1.08

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.30 $4.30

-14.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.54 $5.54

-40.25%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.62 $4.62

-10.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.46 $13.46

-3.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.01 $10.01

38.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$10.96 $10.96

49.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.45 $6.45

-27.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.65 $1.65

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.26 $2.26

126.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.24 $2.24

101.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.17 $2.17

41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.22 $2.22

7.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.03 $3.03

-40.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.95 $1.95

13.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.82 $10.82

-7.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$20.05 $20.05

-24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.23 $3.23

3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$10.10 $10.10

-72.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.09 $1.09

-12.84%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.7K $29.7K

15.04%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$28.1K $28.1K

-4.76%

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

$223 $223

$200 $200

11.74%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$101 $101

-42.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

-0.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$86.2 $86.2

-38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.68 $13.68

2.78%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$398 $398

266.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$71.2 $71.2

-26.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$59.6 $59.6

-28.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$108 $108

-20.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$102 $102

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,060 $1,060

99.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$885 $885

39.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,721 $1,721

124.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,595 $1,595

50.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,031 $2,031

265.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,987 $1,987

54.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Northfield, MN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Northfield, MN

$885 39.3% 28.1% $345

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Northfield, MN

$388 17.2% 5.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Northfield, MN

$372 16.5% 5.5% $19

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Northfield, MN

$329 14.6% 5.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Northfield, MN

$153 6.8% 19.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Northfield, MN

$114 5% 39.9% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Northfield, MN

$10 * 0.5% 82.1% $46

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,060 in Northfield, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $70 in Northfield, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $388 per month, with Northfield, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Northfield, MN

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

18,493

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Northfield, MN 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Northfield, MN

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 Northfield, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Northfield, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Northfield, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,377 in Northfield, MN 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,060 in Northfield, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $398 in Northfield, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Northfield, MN – a meal for two runs $70 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Northfield, MN gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.