Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rochester

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochester: $2,128 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Rochester
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Rochester Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Rochester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,128 in Rochester.

Austin, TX $2,663
Rochester $2,128

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,234 in Rochester.

Austin, TX $4,133
Rochester $3,234

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,339 in Rochester.

Austin, TX $5,603
Rochester $4,339

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 25% more expensive than in Rochester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Rochester 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$25.24 £18.94

-17.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$95.4 £71.6

-11.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.96 £7.47

23.69%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.96 £3.72

13.51%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.34 £1.75

58.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.46 £1.85

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.25 £3.94

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.60 £3.45

95.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.74 £1.31

-35.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.04 £1.53

83.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.15 £1.61

51.63%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.51 £2.63

18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.11 £4.58

111.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.49 £5.62

89.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.70 £11.03

10.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.74 £2.06

58.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.96 £1.47

-25.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.28 £1.71

97.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.40 £2.55

27.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.93 £1.45

33.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.24 £0.93

89.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.13 £0.85

57.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.69 £1.27

31.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$23.77 £17.84

-58.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.74 £8.06

40.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.94 £2.21

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.14 £2.35

10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.02 £3.02

-62.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.13 £3.85

-46.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.66 £2.00

-37.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$39.46 £29.60

-10.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.06 £1.55

-53.88%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.7K £28.3K

-4.33%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$40.7K £30.5K

-33.40%

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

$229 $229

$227 £171

0.66%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$16.59 £12.45

257.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$36.47 £27.36

91.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.43 £29.58

45.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.18 £12.89

-16.88%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,312 £984

14.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$30.0K £22.5K

-28.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$90.3 £67.8

-41.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$44.47 £33.36

-1.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$104 £78.0

-18.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$87.7 £65.8

17.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,539 £1,155

23.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$959 £719

32.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,994 £1,496

83.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,645 £1,234

54.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,236 £3,928

45.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$4,491 £3,369

-29.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,376 £2,533

51.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.12

32.62%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rochester: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Rochester

$959 45.1% 24.8% $315

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Rochester

$287 13.5% 29% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Rochester

$281 13.2% 21.7% $78

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Rochester

$346 16.3% 2.2% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Rochester

$147 6.9% 14.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Rochester

$74 3.5% 14% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Rochester

$35 * 1.6% 41.2% $24

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,539 in Rochester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 52% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $95.0 in Rochester. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $287, with Rochester cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Rochester

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

15:04 3:04 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

62,982

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Rochester 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rochester

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rochester wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rochester the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,539 in Rochester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,312 in Rochester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rochester – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,128 in Rochester versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rochester but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rochester the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Rochester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.