Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and River Falls, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in River Falls, WI: $2,515 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in River Falls, WI
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River Falls, WI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

River Falls, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in River Falls, WI

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 River Falls, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,515 in River Falls, WI.

Austin, TX $2,698
River Falls, WI $2,515

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,887 in River Falls, WI.

Austin, TX $4,160
River Falls, WI $3,887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,259 in River Falls, WI.

Austin, TX $5,622
River Falls, WI $5,259

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 7% more expensive than in River Falls, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, River Falls, WI 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$22.17 $22.17

-6.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$82.0 $82.0

3.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.91 $11.91

1.34%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.49 $6.49

-15.56%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.07 $3.07

23.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.36 $2.36

4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.94 $6.94

15.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.10 $8.10

9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.83 $0.83

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.67 $3.67

1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$6.68 $6.68

-49.55%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.76 $3.76

14.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.23 $10.23

28.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.48 $13.48

4.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.96 $18.96

-13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.89 $5.89

-22.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.87 $1.87

-21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.71 $6.71

-29.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.09 $5.09

-18.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.34 $4.34

-40.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.09 $4.09

-42.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.34 $2.34

-24.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.64 $2.64

-18.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$12.72 $12.72

-20.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.82 $15.82

-3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.77 $2.77

1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$5.57 $5.57

-38.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.10 $2.10

-26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.88 $4.88

-42.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.75 $1.75

-8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$23.56 $23.56

45.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.03 $1.03

-8.74%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.3K $30.3K

12.09%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.94%

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

$223 $223

$181 $181

23.23%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$54.8 $54.8

7.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.3 $70.3

0.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$39.56 $39.56

45.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$16.10 $16.10

-11.43%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,365 $1,365

10.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$36.8K $36.8K

-43.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$56.8 $56.8

-9.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.63 $43.63

1.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$98.8 $98.8

-11.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,534 $1,534

26.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,161 $1,161

13.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,835 $2,835

29.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,226 $2,226

15.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,548 $2,548

188.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,038 $2,038

53.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

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 River Falls, WI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

River Falls, WI

$1.2K 46.2% 11.8% $155

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

River Falls, WI

$454 18% 11.7% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

River Falls, WI

$306 12.2% 13.2% $46

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

River Falls, WI

$364 14.5% 3.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

River Falls, WI

$137 5.4% 5.8% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

River Falls, WI

$72 2.9% 16.8% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

River Falls, WI

$22 * 0.9% 62% $36

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 $1,534 in River Falls, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $82.0 in River Falls, WI. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $454, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 River Falls, WI

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

16,618

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX River Falls, WI 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
River Falls, WI

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 River Falls, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

River Falls, WI wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making River Falls, WI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,772 in River Falls, WI to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,534 in River Falls, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,365 in River Falls, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in River Falls, WI – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. River Falls, WI 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and River Falls, WI 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 River Falls, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.