Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Robinson, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Robinson, IL: $2,383 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, TX despite lower rent and utilities.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Robinson, IL
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Robinson, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Robinson, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Robinson, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,383 in Robinson, IL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Robinson, IL $2,383

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,412 in Robinson, IL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Robinson, IL $3,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,441 in Robinson, IL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Robinson, IL $4,441

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Robinson, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Robinson, IL 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$10.80 $10.80

88.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$54.9 $54.9

54.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.04 $9.04

34.07%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.99 $4.99

13.23%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.16 $2.16

70.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.63 $1.63

44.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.11 $6.11

28.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.11 $7.11

24.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.76 $0.76

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.45 $2.45

50.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.93 $4.93

-32.86%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.02 $3.02

37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.35 $13.35

-2.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$6.69 $6.69

107.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$5.86 $5.86

178.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.81 $3.81

23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.34 $1.34

8.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.50 $3.50

46.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.25 $4.25

6.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.55 $2.55

20.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.63 $2.63

-9.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.22 $2.22

-18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.39 $2.39

-7.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.06 $9.06

10.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.84 $15.84

-4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.86 $2.86

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.75 $3.75

-11.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.24 $2.24

-45.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$66.3 $66.3

-38.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.77 $2.77

0.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.39 $1.39

18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.91 $29.91

18.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$33.0K $33.0K

3.73%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.21%

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

$223 $223

$180 $180

24.22%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.9 $59.9

-2.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$66.9 $66.9

6.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$38.06 $38.06

39.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$10.85 $10.85

29.59%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$398 $398

266.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$16.2K $16.2K

31.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.89 $49.89

5.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$35.62 $35.62

20.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$61.0 $61.0

41.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$78.6 $78.6

32.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$570 $570

270.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,276 $1,276

-3.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,524 $2,524

53.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,117 $2,117

13.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,646 $2,646

180.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,453 $2,453

24.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,018 $5,018

3.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.4

6.56%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Robinson, IL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Robinson, IL

$1.3K 53.6% 3.7% $46

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Robinson, IL

$321 13.5% 21.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Robinson, IL

$306 12.9% 13.1% $46

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Robinson, IL

$233 9.8% 33% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Robinson, IL

$101 4.3% 21.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Robinson, IL

$60 2.5% 26.4% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Robinson, IL

$85 3.6% 50.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $570 in Robinson, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 3% 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 in Austin, TX vs $55 in Robinson, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $321 per month, with Robinson, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Robinson, IL

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

12,443

💱 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 Robinson, IL 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Robinson, IL

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 Robinson, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Robinson, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Robinson, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% 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 $570 in Robinson, IL. 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 $2,383 in Robinson, IL – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 39% less than in Robinson, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Robinson, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Robinson, IL 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 – Robinson, IL wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.