Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Preston

For one person, living is cheaper in Preston: $2,152 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Preston
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Preston Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Preston

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,152 in Preston.

Austin, TX $2,663
Preston $2,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,144 in Preston.

Austin, TX $4,133
Preston $3,144

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,136 in Preston.

Austin, TX $5,603
Preston $4,136

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 24% more expensive than in Preston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Preston 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.47 £12.35

26.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$70.4 £52.8

20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.66 £6.50

42.26%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.36 £3.27

29.13%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.19 £1.65

69.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.34 £1.00

86.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.15 £3.87

56.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.25 £3.94

71.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.45 £1.09

-22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.42 £1.06

164.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.67 £1.25

95.21%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.51 £2.63

18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$5.26 £3.95

145.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.12 £6.84

55.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.87 £9.65

26.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.55 £1.91

69.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.68 £1.26

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.53 £1.90

78.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.83 £2.87

13.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.03 £1.52

27.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.24 £1.68

4.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.17 £0.88

52.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.63 £1.22

36.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$21.41 £16.06

-53.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.24 £6.93

63.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.07 £2.30

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.26 £2.45

6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.93 £2.95

-62.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$98.8 £74.1

-57.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.61 £1.96

4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.07 £1.55

-19.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.87 £1.40

-49.20%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.2K £27.9K

-3.15%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$39.9K £29.9K

-32.11%

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

$229 $229

$434 £326

-47.27%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$15.44 £11.59

284.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$45.14 £33.87

54.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$40.24 £30.19

42.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.67 £12.50

-2.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.50 £13.13

-18.40%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,554 £1,166

-3.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,467 £6,352

153.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$74.3 £55.7

-28.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.96 £19.47

68.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$64.9 £48.72

30.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$66.8 £50.1

54.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$978 £733

95.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$813 £610

56.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,894 £1,421

93.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,449 £1,087

75.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,332 £2,499

128.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,374 £1,781

33.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,009 £2,258

70.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.93

37.73%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Preston: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Preston

$813 37.8% 36.2% $461

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Preston

$277 12.9% 31.6% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Preston

$495 23% 38.1% $137

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Preston

$260 12.1% 26.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Preston

$104 4.9% 18.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Preston

$75 3.5% 12.3% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Preston

$127 5.9% 117% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $978 in Preston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 70% 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 $70.0 in Preston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $277 per month, with Preston cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Preston

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

15:56 3:56 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

114,300

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Preston 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Preston

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 Preston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Preston wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Preston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 70% 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 $978 in Preston. 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 $2,152 in Preston – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Preston runs roughly 137% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,152 in Preston versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Preston but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Preston 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.

Expats usually find Preston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.