Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Roanoke, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Roanoke, VA: $2,127 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Roanoke, VA
Learn more

Roanoke, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Roanoke, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Roanoke, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,127 in Roanoke, VA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Roanoke, VA $2,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,041 in Roanoke, VA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Roanoke, VA $3,041

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $3,955 in Roanoke, VA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Roanoke, VA $3,955

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 23% more expensive than in Roanoke, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Roanoke, VA 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.21 $17.21

18.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$55.1 $55.1

53.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.46 $11.46

5.76%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.29 $5.29

6.81%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.32 $2.32

58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.38 $2.38

-0.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.43 $4.43

77.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.98 $6.98

26.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.91 $0.91

25.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.94 $2.94

25.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.46 $4.46

-25.78%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.37 $3.37

23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.92 $13.92

-6.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.30 $10.30

34.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.79 $16.79

-2.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.48 $5.48

-14.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.21 $1.21

19.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.83 $3.83

33.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.51 $4.51

0.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.31 $2.31

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.08 $3.08

-22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.10 $2.10

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.12 $2.12

4.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.09 $9.09

9.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.90 $11.90

26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.68 $1.68

73.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.44 $1.44

131.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.80 $1.80

-32.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$56.9 $56.9

-28.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.60 $0.60

175.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.87 $0.87

9.20%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$35.9K $35.9K

-4.70%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.76%

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

$223 $223

$122 $122

83.40%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$55.2 $55.2

5.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$64.1 $64.1

10.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$37.30 $37.30

42.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$23.28 $23.28

-28.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.30 $12.30

14.31%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$559 $559

160.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$44.98 $44.98

16.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$34.85 $34.85

22.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$93.0 $93.0

-7.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$133 $133

-21.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,165 $1,165

81.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$961 $961

28.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,892 $1,892

104.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,359 $1,359

77.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,163 $2,163

243.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,844 $1,844

65.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,298 $3,298

57.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.81

0.15%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Roanoke, VA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Roanoke, VA

$961 45.2% 21.9% $270

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Roanoke, VA

$368 17.3% 10.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Roanoke, VA

$241 11.3% 31.7% $112

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Roanoke, VA

$291 13.7% 16.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Roanoke, VA

$138 6.5% 7.1% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Roanoke, VA

$62 2.9% 23.7% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Roanoke, VA

$67 * 3.2% 18.7% $11

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,165 in Roanoke, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 57% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $55 in Roanoke, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $368 per month, with Roanoke, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Roanoke, VA

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

99,837

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Roanoke, VA 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Roanoke, VA

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 Roanoke, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roanoke, VA wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Roanoke, VA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 57% 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 $1,165 in Roanoke, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,127 in Roanoke, VA – Roanoke, VA is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 29% less than in Roanoke, VA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Roanoke, VA gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Roanoke, VA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Roanoke, VA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.