Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Pearland, TX: $2,366 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Pearland, TX
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Pearland, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Pearland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,366

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Pearland, 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 Pearland, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,366 in Pearland, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
Pearland, TX $2,366

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,373 in Pearland, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
Pearland, TX $3,373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,381 in Pearland, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
Pearland, TX $4,381

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 10% more expensive than in Pearland, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Pearland, TX 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.20 $20.20

0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$75.4 $75.4

12.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.99 $9.99

21.32%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.64 $5.64

0.18%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.45 $3.45

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.38 $2.38

-0.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.08 $6.08

29.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.05 $8.05

9.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.87 $0.87

31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.40 $3.40

8.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.30 $3.30

0.30%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.34 $3.34

24.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.96 $12.96

0.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.78 $12.78

8.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.47 $16.47

-0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.11 $4.11

14.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.46 $1.46

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.05 $3.05

67.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.81 $3.81

18.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.18 $2.18

41.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.31 $2.31

3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.89 $1.89

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.18 $2.18

1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.12 $10.12

-1.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.43 $14.43

4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.45 $2.45

18.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.08 $3.08

8.12%

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

$2.82 $2.82

-1.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.41 $1.41

17.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.10 $24.10

46.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.90 $0.90

5.56%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

0.13%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.55%

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

$223 $223

$195 $195

14.54%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$58.9 $58.9

-0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$70.2 $70.2

1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.02 $14.02

0.29%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,450 $1,450

0.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.4K $21.4K

-0.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.24 $49.24

6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$44.00 $44.00

-2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$87.0 $87.0

-0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$94.9 $94.9

9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,435 $1,435

47.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,177 $1,177

4.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,047 $2,047

88.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,754 $1,754

37.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,822 $5,822

-11.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.7

1.79%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pearland, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Pearland, TX

$1.2K 49.7% 4.4% $54

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Pearland, TX

$374 15.8% 8.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Pearland, TX

$324 13.7% 8.2% $29

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Pearland, TX

$329 13.9% 5.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Pearland, TX

$124 5.2% 3.6% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Pearland, TX

$28 * 1.2% 65.5% $53

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Pearland, TX

$9.9 * 0.4% 82.5% $47

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 $1,435 in Pearland, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pearland, TX pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $75 in Pearland, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $374 per month, with Pearland, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Pearland, TX

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

91,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Pearland, TX 250 km

From you

Austin, TX
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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 Pearland, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pearland, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pearland, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,435 in Pearland, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,450 in Pearland, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pearland, TX – a meal for two runs $75 versus $85 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. Pearland, 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.