Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Pittsburgh, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Pittsburgh, PA: $2,525 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Pittsburgh, PA
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Pittsburgh, PA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Pittsburgh, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Pittsburgh, PA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Pittsburgh, PA $2,525

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,630 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Pittsburgh, PA $3,630

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,736 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Pittsburgh, PA $4,736

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 5% more expensive than in Pittsburgh, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Pittsburgh, PA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$19.71 $19.71

5.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$60.1 $60.1

40.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.81 $9.81

25.59%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.84 $4.84

16.32%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.64 $2.64

40.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.15 $2.15

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.59 $6.59

22.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.18 $8.18

10.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.21 $1.21

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.74 $3.74

0.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.84 $4.84

-32.64%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.84 $4.84

-13.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.71 $14.71

-12.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.62 $12.62

12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.43 $17.43

-6.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.15 $5.15

-15.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.50 $1.50

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.04 $4.04

11.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.52 $5.52

-21.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.38 $2.38

8.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.52 $2.52

-6.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.39 $2.39

-25.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.99 $1.99

11.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.98 $10.98

-10.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.76 $12.76

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.07 $2.07

41.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.97 $3.97

-12.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.81 $2.81

-46.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$98.3 $98.3

-57.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.97 $3.97

-31.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.53 $1.53

8.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.78 $20.78

69.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.07 $1.07

-11.21%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.1K $37.1K

-2.79%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

5.40%

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

$229 $229

$252 $252

-8.99%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$53.5 $53.5

10.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$68.7 $68.7

1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$44.26 $44.26

29.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$28.52 $28.52

-42.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.83 $11.83

20.71%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,752 $1,752

-14.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$34.6K $34.6K

-38.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$46.08 $46.08

14.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$47.74 $47.74

-8.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$72.9 $72.9

16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$102 $102

1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,587 $1,587

20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,112 $1,112

14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,442 $2,442

50.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,736 $1,736

46.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,169 $3,169

140.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,023 $2,023

56.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,361 $4,361

17.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.52

4.14%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pittsburgh, PA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Pittsburgh, PA

$1.1K 44.1% 12.7% $162

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Pittsburgh, PA

$416 16.5% 2.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Pittsburgh, PA

$374 14.8% 4.3% $16

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Pittsburgh, PA

$314 12.4% 11.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8% 5.6% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Pittsburgh, PA

$68 2.7% 20.8% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8% 107% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,587 in Pittsburgh, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 17% 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 $60.0 in Pittsburgh, PA. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $416, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, PA

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

311,647

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Pittsburgh, PA 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Pittsburgh, PA

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 Pittsburgh, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pittsburgh, PA wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pittsburgh, PA 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,587 in Pittsburgh, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pittsburgh, PA runs roughly 136% 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 $2,000. Pittsburgh, PA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pittsburgh, PA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,525 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pittsburgh, PA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Pittsburgh, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.