Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Odessa, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Odessa, TX: $2,550 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

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

Cost of Living Index in Odessa, TX
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Odessa, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Odessa, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,550 in Odessa, TX.

Austin, TX $2,698
Odessa, TX $2,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,917 in Odessa, TX.

Austin, TX $4,160
Odessa, TX $3,917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,284 in Odessa, TX.

Austin, TX $5,622
Odessa, TX $5,284

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Odessa, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Odessa, TX 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$39.54 $39.54

-47.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.0 $73.0

15.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.72 $11.72

2.99%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.99 $5.99

-8.51%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.73 $2.73

39.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.81 $2.81

-12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.97 $4.97

61.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.91 $5.91

50.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.46 $3.46

7.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.55 $4.55

-25.93%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.08 $3.08

40.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.67 $7.67

71.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$16.90 $16.90

-16.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.19 $17.19

-5.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.05 $5.05

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.31 $3.31

-55.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.43 $5.43

-13.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.04 $5.04

-17.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.61 $3.61

-28.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.19 $3.19

-26.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.59 $2.59

-31.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$4.60 $4.60

-53.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.86 $9.86

2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$17.85 $17.85

-14.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.80 $2.80

0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.97 $2.97

15.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.95 $1.95

-21.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$80.6 $80.6

-49.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.75 $2.75

1.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.75 $1.75

-8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$27.77 $27.77

23.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.89 $0.89

5.62%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.4K $28.4K

19.58%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$22.2K $22.2K

20.54%

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

$223 $223

$197 $197

12.91%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$58.7 $58.7

0.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.7 $70.7

-0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.29 $42.29

36.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.07 $14.07

1.35%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,510 $1,510

0.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

-0.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$64.0 $64.0

-19.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$42.00 $42.00

5.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$89.2 $89.2

-2.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$116 $116

-10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,491 $1,491

30.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$967 $967

36.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,219 $2,219

65.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,822 $1,822

40.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,699 $1,699

332.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,707 $1,707

83.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,325 $4,325

22.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.05

-3.69%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Odessa, TX: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Odessa, TX

$967 37.9% 26.6% $350

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Odessa, TX

$464 18.2% 14.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Odessa, TX

$327 12.8% 7.3% $26

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Odessa, TX

$482 18.9% 37.7% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Odessa, TX

$140 5.5% 8.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Odessa, TX

$70 2.8% 18.3% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Odessa, TX

$100 3.9% 72.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,491 in Odessa, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 22% 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 $73.0 in Odessa, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $464, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Odessa, TX

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

114,428

💱 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 Odessa, TX 470 km

From you

Austin, TX
Odessa, TX

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 Odessa, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Odessa, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Odessa, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,491 in Odessa, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,550 in Odessa, TX – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Odessa, TX runs roughly 97% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Odessa, TX 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 Odessa, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.