Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Portlaoise

For one person, living is cheaper in Portlaoise: $2,347 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Portlaoise
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Portlaoise Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Portlaoise

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,347 in Portlaoise.

Austin, TX $2,663
Portlaoise $2,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,746 in Portlaoise.

Austin, TX $4,133
Portlaoise $3,746

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,145 in Portlaoise.

Austin, TX $5,603
Portlaoise $5,145

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Portlaoise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Portlaoise 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$22.70 €20.19

-8.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$78.5 €69.8

7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.72 €11.31

-3.14%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.40 €3.91

27.95%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.50 €2.22

48.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.70 €1.51

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.60 €5.87

21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.12 €5.44

47.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.71 €1.52

-34.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.25 €2.00

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.86 €1.65

75.27%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.62 €4.11

-9.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.04 €12.48

-8.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.88 €11.45

9.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.74 €14.89

-3.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.32 €2.95

30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.94 €2.62

-50.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.26 €2.90

38.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.86 €4.32

-10.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.32 €2.07

11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.73 €1.54

35.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.38 €1.23

28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.10 €1.87

5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$20.38 €18.12

-51.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.49 €12.00

11.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.10 €3.64

-28.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.61 €3.21

-4.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.66 €4.14

-68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$44.08 €39.21

-5.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.23 €4.65

-47.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.55 €1.38

7.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$33.30 €29.62

6.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.03 €1.80

-53.20%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$38.8K €34.5K

-7.15%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$38.0K €33.8K

-28.84%

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

$229 $229

$239 €212

-4.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$21.79 €19.38

172.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$55.6 €49.40

25.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$55.3 €49.22

3.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.45 €11.96

6.17%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,072 €953

40.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,427 €4,827

295.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$94.5 €84.0

-44.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$42.66 €37.94

2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$108 €96.2

-21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$121 €108

-15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,229 €1,093

55.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$984 €875

29.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,264 €2,014

61.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,151 €1,913

18.03%

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

$2,785 €2,477

83.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.5

94.00%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Portlaoise: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Portlaoise

$984 41.9% 22.8% $290

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Portlaoise

$390 16.6% 3.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Portlaoise

$316 13.5% 11.8% $42

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Portlaoise

$335 14.3% 5.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Portlaoise

$165 7% 28.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Portlaoise

$82 3.5% 4.1% $3.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Portlaoise

$76 3.2% 28.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,229 in Portlaoise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 84% 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 $78.0 in Portlaoise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $390 per month, with Portlaoise cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇪 Portlaoise

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

16:33 4:33 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

23,494

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Portlaoise 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Portlaoise

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 Portlaoise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portlaoise wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Portlaoise the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 84% 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 $1,229 in Portlaoise. 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 $2,347 in Portlaoise – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Portlaoise runs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,347 in Portlaoise versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Portlaoise but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Portlaoise 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 Portlaoise 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 Portlaoise gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.