Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rock Hill, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Rock Hill, SC: $2,140 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Rock Hill, SC
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Rock Hill, SC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Rock Hill, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Rock Hill, SC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,140 in Rock Hill, SC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Rock Hill, SC $2,140

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,096 in Rock Hill, SC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Rock Hill, SC $3,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,052 in Rock Hill, SC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Rock Hill, SC $4,052

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 26% more expensive than in Rock Hill, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Rock Hill, SC 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$22.40 $22.40

-7.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$80.1 $80.1

5.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.17 $10.17

18.68%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.43 $5.43

0.92%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.78 $2.78

36.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.04 $2.04

21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.96 $4.96

62.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.14 $6.14

44.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.70 $0.70

58.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.83 $2.83

31.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.95 $2.95

14.24%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.39 $5.39

-19.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.03 $11.03

19.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.07 $11.07

27.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.92 $7.92

106.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.73 $2.73

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.40 $1.40

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.66 $6.66

-29.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.51 $4.51

-7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.34 $3.34

-22.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.36 $3.36

-30.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.05 $2.05

4.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.83 $8.83

14.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$9.89 $9.89

53.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.69 $1.69

66.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.57 $3.57

-3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$7.16 $7.16

-60.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.35 $2.35

-31.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$14.73 $14.73

133.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.99 $0.99

-5.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.1K $30.1K

12.82%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.37%

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

$223 $223

$148 $148

50.45%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$51.8 $51.8

13.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$52.0 $52.0

35.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$20.29 $20.29

184.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$6.89 $6.89

139.91%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.82 $11.82

20.64%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,317 $1,317

14.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$10.1K $10.1K

107.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$38.26 $38.26

34.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$31.54 $31.54

40.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$84.1 $84.1

3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$95.8 $95.8

8.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,254 $1,254

54.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,045 $1,045

26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,731 $1,731

111.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,511 $1,511

69.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,470 $3,470

52.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.68

1.65%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rock Hill, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Rock Hill, SC

$1K 48.8% 20.6% $272

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Rock Hill, SC

$337 15.7% 17% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Rock Hill, SC

$252 11.8% 28.5% $100

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Rock Hill, SC

$331 15.5% 5.4% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Rock Hill, SC

$112 5.3% 12.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Rock Hill, SC

$44 2.1% 49% $42

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Rock Hill, SC

$19 * 0.9% 67.4% $39

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 $1,254 in Rock Hill, SC. 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 $80.0 in Rock Hill, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $337 per month, with Rock Hill, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Rock Hill, SC

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

03:37 3:37 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

74,102

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Rock Hill, SC 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rock Hill, SC

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 Rock Hill, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rock Hill, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rock Hill, SC 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,254 in Rock Hill, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,317 in Rock Hill, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rock Hill, SC – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,140 in Rock Hill, SC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Rock Hill, SC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rock Hill, SC 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 Rock Hill, SC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.