Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ottawa, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Ottawa, IL: $2,495 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, TX despite lower rent and utilities.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa, IL
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Ottawa, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ottawa, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,495 in Ottawa, IL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Ottawa, IL $2,495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,579 in Ottawa, IL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Ottawa, IL $3,579

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,663 in Ottawa, IL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Ottawa, IL $4,663

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ottawa, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Ottawa, IL 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$14.87 $14.87

36.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$59.8 $59.8

41.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.81 $9.81

23.55%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.79 $4.79

17.95%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.17 $2.17

69.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.79 $1.79

31.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.47 $5.47

43.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.36 $5.36

64.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.78 $0.78

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.11 $3.11

18.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.00 $3.00

10.33%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.85 $3.85

7.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.28 $12.28

5.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$5.99 $5.99

131.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$12.40 $12.40

31.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.53 $3.53

32.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.44 $1.44

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.22 $3.22

58.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.36 $4.36

3.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.02 $2.02

52.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.26 $2.26

5.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.20 $2.20

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.22 $1.22

81.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$12.39 $12.39

-19.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.80 $14.80

1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.16 $2.16

34.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.92 $3.92

-15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.92 $1.92

-36.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$63.2 $63.2

-35.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.48 $2.48

12.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.58 $1.58

4.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$28.24 $28.24

25.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.12 $1.12

-15.18%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

26.21%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.37%

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

$223 $223

$241 $241

-7.31%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$45.26 $45.26

29.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$68.2 $68.2

4.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$36.92 $36.92

43.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$26.55 $26.55

-36.91%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.43 $11.43

23.01%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,012 $1,012

44.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$19.8K $19.8K

7.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.00 $49.00

7.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$44.39 $44.39

-3.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$118 $118

-26.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-14.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,494 $1,494

41.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,276 $1,276

-3.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,510 $2,510

53.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,088 $2,088

15.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,189 $3,189

132.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,643 $2,643

15.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$2,383 $2,383

117.31%

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 Ottawa, IL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Ottawa, IL

$1.3K 51.2% 3.7% $46

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Ottawa, IL

$314 12.6% 23.5% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Ottawa, IL

$354 14.2% 0.4% $1.4

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Ottawa, IL

$260 10.4% 25.4% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Ottawa, IL

$150 6% 16.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Ottawa, IL

$60 2.4% 26.3% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Ottawa, IL

$81 3.3% 43.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,494 in Ottawa, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $60 in Ottawa, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $314 per month, with Ottawa, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

18,342

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Ottawa, IL 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ottawa, IL

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 Ottawa, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ottawa, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ottawa, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 2.2 times higher, 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,494 in Ottawa, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,495 in Ottawa, IL – Ottawa, IL is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 36% less than in Ottawa, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

It comes down to priorities – Ottawa, IL wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.