Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Reno, NV

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,939 in Reno, NV, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Reno, NV
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Reno, NV Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Reno, NV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,939

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Reno, NV

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,939 in Reno, NV.

Austin, TX $2,607
Reno, NV $2,939

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,216 in Reno, NV.

Austin, TX $4,031
Reno, NV $4,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,494 in Reno, NV.

Austin, TX $5,454
Reno, NV $5,494

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 11% less than in Reno, NV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Reno, NV 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$26.27 $26.27

-22.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$86.5 $86.5

-2.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.81 $12.81

-5.39%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.34 $5.34

5.81%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.73 $2.73

34.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.94 $1.94

21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.23 $7.23

8.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.56 $7.56

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.15 $1.15

-0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.98 $3.98

-7.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.89 $3.89

-14.91%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.25 $5.25

-20.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.74 $11.74

10.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$16.00 $16.00

-13.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$23.46 $23.46

-30.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.44 $4.44

5.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.49 $1.49

-2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.01 $3.01

69.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.91 $6.91

-34.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.07 $3.07

0.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.73 $3.73

-36.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.73 $2.73

-34.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.27 $2.27

-2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.51 $10.51

-5.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.44 $12.44

20.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.98 $1.98

46.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.61 $3.61

-7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.04 $2.04

-40.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$64.2 $64.2

-36.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.80 $3.80

-26.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.59 $2.59

-36.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$32.64 $32.64

8.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.28 $1.28

-25.78%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.6K $27.6K

23.72%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.17%

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

$223 $223

$177 $177

25.97%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$95.4 $95.4

-38.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$89.5 $89.5

-20.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$32.43 $32.43

63.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$15.91 $15.91

5.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.33 $14.33

-1.88%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,300 $1,300

12.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$27.8K $27.8K

-23.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$54.2 $54.2

-3.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$32.80 $32.80

30.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$74.7 $74.7

15.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$144 $144

-28.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,829 $1,829

15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,459 $1,459

-15.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,811 $2,811

37.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,153 $2,153

11.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,519 $3,519

111.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$3,606 $3,606

-15.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,363 $4,363

18.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Reno, NV: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Reno, NV

$1.5K 49.6% 18.6% $229

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Reno, NV

$448 15.2% 9.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Reno, NV

$362 12.3% 2.6% $9.3

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Reno, NV

$383 13% 9.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Reno, NV

$138 4.7% 7.2% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Reno, NV

$61 2.1% 24.7% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Reno, NV

$89 3% 57.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,829 in Reno, NV. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $86 in Reno, NV for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $448 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Reno, NV

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

10:48 10:48 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

271,953

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Reno, NV 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Reno, NV

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 Reno, NV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Reno, NV. 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 19% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,829 in Reno, NV. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,300 in Reno, NV. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 37% less than in Reno, NV. 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.