Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rochester, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochester, MI: $2,366 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Rochester, MI
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Rochester, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Rochester, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,366

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Rochester, MI

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 Rochester, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,366 in Rochester, MI.

Austin, TX $2,689
Rochester, MI $2,366

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,382 in Rochester, MI.

Austin, TX $4,112
Rochester, MI $3,382

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $4,398 in Rochester, MI.

Austin, TX $5,534
Rochester, MI $4,398

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 14% more expensive than in Rochester, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Rochester, MI 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$16.32 $16.32

30.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$74.6 $74.6

17.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$12.10 $12.10

2.81%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.28 $5.28

6.06%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.87 $2.87

27.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.20 $2.20

8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.88 $4.88

60.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$5.83 $5.83

50.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.84 $0.84

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.92 $2.92

23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.40 $3.40

2.94%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.75 $2.75

61.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$11.06 $11.06

19.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$17.52 $17.52

-20.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$10.86 $10.86

51.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.34 $3.34

41.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.55 $1.55

-3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.35 $4.35

6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.54 $3.54

27.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.23 $2.23

14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.24 $2.24

6.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.03 $1.03

78.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$5.46 $5.46

-60.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.95 $9.95

1.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.95 $14.95

-0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.33 $2.33

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.99 $4.99

-34.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$10.18 $10.18

-73.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.15 $3.15

-48.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$10.10 $10.10

248.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.97 $0.97

1.03%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$30.6K $30.6K

12.51%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.77%

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

$252 $252

$133 $133

90.03%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$64.1 $64.1

-6.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$52.3 $52.3

33.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$22.32 $22.32

170.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$34.76 $34.76

-47.81%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$9.91 $9.91

38.75%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$644 $644

126.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$10.0K $10.0K

164.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$61.4 $61.4

-14.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$49.83 $49.83

-8.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$103 $103

-17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$118 $118

-10.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,182 $1,182

85.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,203 $1,203

5.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,196 $2,196

82.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,726 $1,726

39.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$4,261 $4,261

73.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,197 $2,197

34.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$5,476 $5,476

-7.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.56

3.96%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rochester, MI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Rochester, MI

$1.2K 50.9% 5.2% $66

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Rochester, MI

$409 17.3% 0.4% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Rochester, MI

$249 10.5% 34.7% $133

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Rochester, MI

$287 12.1% 19.5% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Rochester, MI

$150 6.3% 14.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Rochester, MI

$42 1.8% 52% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Rochester, MI

$26 * 1.1% 54.6% $31

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,182 in Rochester, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rochester, MI pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $75 in Rochester, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $409, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Rochester, MI

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

211,328

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Rochester, MI 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rochester, MI

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 Rochester, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rochester, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rochester, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,182 in Rochester, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,366 in Rochester, MI – Rochester, MI is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Rochester, MI – a meal for two runs $75 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.