Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Phoenix

For one person, living is cheaper in Phoenix: $823 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Phoenix
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Phoenix Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Phoenix

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $823 in Phoenix.

Austin, TX $2,663
Phoenix $823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,303 in Phoenix.

Austin, TX $4,133
Phoenix $1,303

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,783 in Phoenix.

Austin, TX $5,603
Phoenix $1,783

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 224% more expensive than in Phoenix, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Phoenix is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.12 MUR 99.7

879.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.62 MUR 1,489

167.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.31 MUR 344

68.54%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.18 MUR 244

8.69%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.60 MUR 28.29

520.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.55 MUR 25.79

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.05 MUR 96.4

292.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.29 MUR 249

70.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.44 MUR 68.0

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.40 MUR 19.01

837.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.16 MUR 101

50.93%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.91 MUR 231

-15.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.21 MUR 387

72.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.45 MUR 304

151.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$7.50 MUR 353

-42.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.88 MUR 183

-62.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.58 MUR 215

-1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.49 MUR 70.0

191.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.85 MUR 40.12

203.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.86 MUR 40.69

173.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.72 MUR 34.03

147.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.76 MUR 35.76

192.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.39 MUR 489

45.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.04 MUR 95.9

43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.08 MUR 50.7

37.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$10.33 MUR 486

303.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.46 MUR 68.7

13.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.33 MUR 62.5

-28.57%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

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

$229 $229

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

$59.4 $59.4

$14.01 MUR 659

323.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$24.77 MUR 1,166

182.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$25.58 MUR 1,204

123.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.21 MUR 245

174.09%

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

$1,506 $1,506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$53.3 MUR 2,511

-0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$52.7 MUR 2,481

-16.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$526 MUR 24.8K

262.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$311 MUR 14.6K

309.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$831 MUR 39.1K

341.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$535 MUR 25.2K

374.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$959 MUR 45.1K

434.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

35.80%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phoenix: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Phoenix

$311 37.8% 75.6% $963

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Phoenix

$241 * 29.3% 40.5% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Phoenix

$39 * 4.7% 89.2% $320

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Phoenix

$126 15.4% 64.3% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Phoenix

$48 * 5.8% 62.7% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Phoenix

$36 4.4% 58% $50

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Phoenix

$22 * 2.7% 62.6% $37

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $526 in Phoenix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 434% 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 $32.00 in Phoenix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $241 per month, with Phoenix cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇺 Phoenix

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

17:27 5:27 PM

9 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

115,289

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

MUR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Phoenix 17,300 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Phoenix

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 Phoenix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phoenix wins on cost – living expenses run 224% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phoenix the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 434% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $526 in Phoenix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phoenix – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Phoenix runs roughly 304% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $823 in Phoenix versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Phoenix but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Phoenix the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Phoenix are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phoenix gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.