Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Poughkeepsie, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $2,964 in Poughkeepsie, NY, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Poughkeepsie, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Poughkeepsie, NY
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Poughkeepsie, NY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Poughkeepsie, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,964

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Poughkeepsie, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,964 in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Austin, TX $2,698
Poughkeepsie, NY $2,964

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,152 in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Austin, TX $4,160
Poughkeepsie, NY $4,152

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,339 in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Austin, TX $5,622
Poughkeepsie, NY $5,339

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 9% less than in Poughkeepsie, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Poughkeepsie, NY 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$23.28 $23.28

-11.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$101 $101

-16.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.28 $12.28

-1.71%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.61 $4.61

18.87%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.94 $1.94

95.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.22 $1.22

102.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.06 $6.06

32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.99 $7.99

11.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.05 $1.05

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.34 $3.34

11.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$6.95 $6.95

-51.51%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.10 $5.10

-15.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$15.69 $15.69

-9.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.36 $17.36

-5.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.73 $4.73

-3.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.01 $1.01

44.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.44 $5.44

-13.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.80 $4.80

-13.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.21 $3.21

-19.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.60 $3.60

-34.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.98 $1.98

8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$14.56 $14.56

-30.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.20 $10.20

48.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.09 $2.09

34.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.99 $3.99

-13.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.85 $2.85

-45.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.02 $5.02

-44.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.36 $1.36

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.14 $30.14

13.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.95 $0.95

-1.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

25.24%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.20%

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

$223 $223

$208 $208

7.10%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$70.5 $70.5

-16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$69.2 $69.2

1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$20.39 $20.39

182.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$40.23 $40.23

-58.91%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.92 $14.92

-4.42%

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

$1,511 $1,511

-0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$17.1K $17.1K

22.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$54.6 $54.6

-6.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.09 $40.09

10.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$113 $113

-22.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$106 $106

-1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,708 $1,708

13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,640 $1,640

-19.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,920 $1,920

90.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,237 $2,237

14.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,567 $1,567

369.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,321 $2,321

34.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,545 $4,545

16.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.66

1.95%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Poughkeepsie, NY: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$1.6K 55.3% 24.6% $324

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$425 14.3% 4.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$348 11.7% 1.3% $4.5

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$337 11.4% 3.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$141 4.8% 9.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$50 1.7% 41.7% $36

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Poughkeepsie, NY

$23 * 0.8% 59.9% $35

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 $1,708 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $101 in Poughkeepsie, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $425 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Poughkeepsie, NY

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

01:22 1:22 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

31,577

💱 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 Poughkeepsie, NY 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Poughkeepsie, NY

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 Poughkeepsie, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Poughkeepsie, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% 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 $1,708 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $101 in Poughkeepsie, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Poughkeepsie, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.