Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $929 in Portsmouth.

Austin, TX $2,704
Portsmouth $929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,626 in Portsmouth.

Austin, TX $4,133
Portsmouth $1,626

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,323 in Portsmouth.

Austin, TX $5,562
Portsmouth $2,323

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 191% more expensive than in Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Portsmouth is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.50 EC$14.84

267.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$56.2 EC$152

51.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$6.83 EC$18.44

80.82%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.67 EC$7.20

104.87%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.19 EC$5.91

74.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.87 EC$5.05

33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.53 EC$6.84

218.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.73 EC$10.07

141.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.86 EC$7.72

-60.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.23 EC$6.03

69.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.01 EC$5.43

61.69%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$6.50 EC$17.55

-36.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$2.66 EC$7.17

391.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.48 EC$14.80

161.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$7.21 EC$19.46

-39.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.57 EC$6.93

-43.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.00 EC$10.81

13.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.14 EC$11.17

1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.90 EC$7.84

-9.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.78 EC$7.51

-15.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.82 EC$4.91

-3.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.90 EC$5.13

13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.32 EC$30.56

30.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.87 EC$5.06

48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.67 EC$7.20

30.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.75 EC$2.03

98.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.67 EC$9.90

-27.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.68 EC$9.93

-57.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$219 $219

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

$58.0 $58.0

$40.78 EC$110

42.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$63.9 EC$172

7.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$36.97 EC$99.8

56.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$11.11 EC$30.01

27.18%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$55.9 EC$151

-7.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$23.90 EC$64.5

84.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$56.0 EC$151

51.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$65.9 EC$178

59.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$258 EC$696

649.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$223 EC$602

470.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$670 EC$1,808

448.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$617 EC$1,667

309.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$626 EC$1,691

715.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $258 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 715% 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 $56.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $290 per month, with Portsmouth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

05:00 5:00 AM

06:00 6:00 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,633

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

XCD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Portsmouth 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth wins on cost – living expenses run 191% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Portsmouth the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 715% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $258 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $929 in Portsmouth – a 191% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $929 in Portsmouth versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 191% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.