Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Plymouth, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Plymouth, MI: $2,507 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Plymouth, MI
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Plymouth, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Plymouth, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,507

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Plymouth, MI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,507 in Plymouth, MI.

Austin, TX $2,698
Plymouth, MI $2,507

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,844 in Plymouth, MI.

Austin, TX $4,160
Plymouth, MI $3,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,182 in Plymouth, MI.

Austin, TX $5,622
Plymouth, MI $5,182

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 8% more expensive than in Plymouth, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Plymouth, MI 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$12.69 $12.69

62.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.9 $73.9

14.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.10 $8.10

49.01%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.52 $5.52

-0.72%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.02 $2.02

88.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.01 $1.01

144.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.96 $4.96

62.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.09 $4.09

117.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.83 $0.83

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.88 $2.88

29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.50 $4.50

-25.11%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.83 $2.83

52.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.10 $11.10

18.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$17.50 $17.50

-19.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$34.41 $34.41

-52.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.35 $3.35

35.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.58 $1.58

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.63 $6.63

-28.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.54 $3.54

17.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.65 $5.65

-54.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$5.76 $5.76

-59.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.10 $2.10

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.30 $2.30

-6.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.90 $9.90

2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$18.85 $18.85

-19.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.39 $2.39

17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.98 $4.98

-30.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.04 $2.04

-24.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.16 $3.16

-11.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.14 $3.14

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$9.82 $9.82

249.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.00 $1.00

-6.00%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

10.95%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.66%

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

$223 $223

$235 $235

-5.11%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$63.7 $63.7

-7.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$52.2 $52.2

35.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.66 $40.66

41.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.29 $12.29

16.03%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$659 $659

129.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

-17.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$54.9 $54.9

-6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$49.14 $49.14

-10.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$82.8 $82.8

5.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-12.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,574 $1,574

23.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,204 $1,204

9.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,374 $2,374

54.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,301 $2,301

11.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,752 $2,752

167.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,336 $2,336

33.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,777 $4,777

10.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.56

3.51%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Plymouth, MI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Plymouth, MI

$1.2K 48% 8.5% $112

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Plymouth, MI

$485 19.3% 19.4% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Plymouth, MI

$351 14% 0.5% $1.6

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Plymouth, MI

$237 9.5% 32.3% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Plymouth, MI

$138 5.5% 6.8% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Plymouth, MI

$65 2.6% 24.3% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Plymouth, MI

$27 * 1.1% 53.3% $31

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,574 in Plymouth, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 11% 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 $74.0 in Plymouth, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $485, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Plymouth, MI

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

04:11 4:11 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

61,217

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Plymouth, MI 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Plymouth, MI

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 Plymouth, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plymouth, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Plymouth, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,574 in Plymouth, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $659 in Plymouth, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Plymouth, MI – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Plymouth, MI 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Plymouth, MI 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 Plymouth, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.