Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Providence, RI

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,394 in Providence, RI, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Providence, RI
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Providence, RI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Providence, RI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Providence, RI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,394 in Providence, RI.

Austin, TX $2,698
Providence, RI $3,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,649 in Providence, RI.

Austin, TX $4,160
Providence, RI $4,649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,903 in Providence, RI.

Austin, TX $5,622
Providence, RI $5,903

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 21% less than in Providence, RI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Providence, RI 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.01 $18.01

14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$96.2 $96.2

-12.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$13.64 $13.64

-11.51%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.50 $5.50

-0.36%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.96 $2.96

28.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.96 $1.96

26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.03 $5.03

60.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.01 $8.01

10.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.06 $1.06

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.20 $3.20

16.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.35 $5.35

-37.01%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.94 $4.94

-12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.41 $11.41

15.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$14.40 $14.40

-1.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.98 $17.98

-9.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.79 $4.79

-5.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.37 $1.37

6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.58 $5.58

-15.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.69 $4.69

-11.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.30 $3.30

-21.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.59 $3.59

-34.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.31 $2.31

-23.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.02 $2.02

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$13.46 $13.46

-24.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.30 $13.30

14.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.05 $2.05

37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.08 $4.08

-15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.06 $2.06

-25.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$70.9 $70.9

-42.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.05 $5.05

-44.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.41 $1.41

13.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.45 $30.45

12.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.09 $1.09

-13.76%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

23.73%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.59%

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

$223 $223

$313 $313

-28.95%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$70.4 $70.4

-16.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$83.6 $83.6

-15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$56.9 $56.9

1.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$60.8 $60.8

-72.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.60 $14.60

-2.33%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,477 $1,477

2.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$16.8K $16.8K

24.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$53.7 $53.7

-4.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$38.95 $38.95

13.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$80.2 $80.2

8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$100 $100

4.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,440 $2,440

-20.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,897 $1,897

-30.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,174 $3,174

15.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,602 $2,602

-1.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,746 $3,746

96.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$3,316 $3,316

-5.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,773 $3,773

40.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.64

2.26%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Providence, RI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Providence, RI

$1.9K 55.9% 44.1% $581

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Providence, RI

$417 12.3% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Providence, RI

$467 13.8% 32.7% $115

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Providence, RI

$312 9.2% 10.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Providence, RI

$123 3.6% 4.7% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Providence, RI

$86 2.5% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Providence, RI

$91 2.7% 57.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $2,440 in Providence, RI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 40% 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 $96.0 in Providence, RI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $417 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Providence, RI

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

10:18 10:18 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

179,472

💱 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 Providence, RI 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Providence, RI

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 Providence, RI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Providence, RI. 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 40% 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 $2,440 in Providence, RI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,394 in Providence, RI – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 73% less than in Providence, RI. 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Providence, RI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.