Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Port Arthur, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Port Arthur, TX: $2,607 and $2,634 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
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Port Arthur, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
Port Arthur, TX $2,634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,860 in Port Arthur, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
Port Arthur, TX $3,860

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,086 in Port Arthur, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
Port Arthur, TX $5,086

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 1% less than in Port Arthur, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Port Arthur, TX 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.63 $18.63

9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$74.1 $74.1

14.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.20 $11.20

8.21%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.96 $4.96

13.91%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.55 $2.55

44.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.94 $1.94

21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.15 $6.15

27.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.94 $6.94

27.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.04 $1.04

9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.43 $3.43

7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.32 $4.32

-23.38%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.03 $4.03

2.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.42 $12.42

4.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.57 $11.57

19.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.59 $15.59

4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.86 $4.86

-3.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.61 $1.61

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.26 $4.26

19.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.69 $4.69

-3.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.90 $2.90

6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.90 $2.90

-17.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.11 $2.11

-14.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.18 $2.18

1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.43 $9.43

5.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.75 $13.75

9.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.77 $1.77

64.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.29 $3.29

1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.02 $2.02

-39.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$66.3 $66.3

-38.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.52 $3.52

-21.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.60 $1.60

3.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.41 $29.41

20.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.85 $0.85

11.76%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.1K $30.1K

13.79%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.98%

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

$223 $223

$190 $190

17.07%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$53.1 $53.1

10.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$66.2 $66.2

7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$43.60 $43.60

21.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.73 $13.73

2.40%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,279 $1,279

14.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.4K $23.4K

-8.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$50.2 $50.2

4.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$39.34 $39.34

8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$86.8 $86.8

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$113 $113

-8.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,625 $1,625

29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,346 $1,346

-8.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,594 $2,594

48.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,244 $2,244

7.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,790 $2,790

166.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,405 $2,405

27.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.51

4.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Port Arthur, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Port Arthur, TX

$1.3K 51.1% 9.4% $115

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Port Arthur, TX

$387 14.7% 5.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Port Arthur, TX

$310 11.8% 12.1% $43

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Port Arthur, TX

$305 11.6% 12.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Port Arthur, TX

$130 5% 1.4% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Port Arthur, TX

$71 2.7% 12.4% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Port Arthur, TX

$86 3.3% 52.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $74 in Port Arthur, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $387 per month, with Port Arthur, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

54,135

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Port Arthur, TX 370 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 Port Arthur, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Port Arthur, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,951 in Port Arthur, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 39% less than in Port Arthur, 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. Austin, 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.