Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Pawtucket, RI

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $2,822 in Pawtucket, RI, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Pawtucket, RI despite lower rent and utilities.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Pawtucket, RI
Learn more

Pawtucket, RI Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Pawtucket, RI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Pawtucket, RI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,822 in Pawtucket, RI.

Austin, TX $2,689
Pawtucket, RI $2,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $4,267 in Pawtucket, RI.

Austin, TX $4,112
Pawtucket, RI $4,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,712 in Pawtucket, RI.

Austin, TX $5,534
Pawtucket, RI $5,712

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 5% less than in Pawtucket, RI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Pawtucket, RI 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$29.44 $29.44

-27.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$92.5 $92.5

-5.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$13.69 $13.69

-9.13%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.56 $5.56

0.72%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.99 $2.99

22.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.34 $2.34

2.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$8.09 $8.09

-3.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$8.14 $8.14

7.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.07 $1.07

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.99 $3.99

-9.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$5.22 $5.22

-32.95%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.91 $4.91

-9.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$14.57 $14.57

-9.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$14.40 $14.40

-3.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$17.40 $17.40

-5.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$6.76 $6.76

-30.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.77 $1.77

-15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.41 $5.41

-14.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.76 $6.76

-33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.51 $1.51

68.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.89 $2.89

-17.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.28 $2.28

-19.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.86 $2.86

-25.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$13.37 $13.37

-24.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.91 $13.91

6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.07 $3.07

-8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.08 $4.08

-19.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.02 $2.02

-39.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$70.2 $70.2

-40.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.63 $2.63

1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.72 $1.72

-5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$27.56 $27.56

27.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.04 $1.04

-5.77%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$27.4K $27.4K

25.63%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.86%

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

$252 $252

$282 $282

-10.59%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$70.7 $70.7

-15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$78.7 $78.7

-11.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$24.90 $24.90

142.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$14.51 $14.51

-5.24%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,847 $1,847

-21.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$43.9K $43.9K

-39.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$56.3 $56.3

-6.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$39.81 $39.81

14.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$88.2 $88.2

-3.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$149 $149

-29.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,525 $1,525

43.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,212 $1,212

4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,280 $2,280

75.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,200 $2,200

9.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$4,316 $4,316

16.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.64

2.71%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pawtucket, RI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Pawtucket, RI

$1.2K 42.9% 4.5% $57

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Pawtucket, RI

$464 16.4% 13.9% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Pawtucket, RI

$432 15.3% 13.1% $50

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Pawtucket, RI

$421 14.9% 18.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Pawtucket, RI

$150 5.3% 15.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Pawtucket, RI

$54 1.9% 38.6% $34

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Pawtucket, RI

$90 3.2% 56.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,525 in Pawtucket, RI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $93 in Pawtucket, RI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $464 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Pawtucket, RI

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

04:26 4:26 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

72,998

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Pawtucket, RI 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Pawtucket, RI

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 Pawtucket, RI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Pawtucket, RI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,525 in Pawtucket, RI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,822 in Pawtucket, RI – Austin, TX is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 41% less than in Pawtucket, RI. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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