Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rock Island, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Rock Island, IL: $2,698 and $2,664 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
Learn more

Rock Island, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Rock Island, 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 Rock Island, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,664 in Rock Island, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Rock Island, IL $2,664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,843 in Rock Island, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Rock Island, IL $3,843

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,023 in Rock Island, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Rock Island, IL $5,023

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 1% more expensive than in Rock Island, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Rock Island, IL 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.07 $20.07

2.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$67.2 $67.2

25.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.84 $12.84

-6.00%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.90 $5.90

-7.12%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.14 $3.14

21.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.40 $2.40

2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.08 $7.08

13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.97 $7.97

11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.94 $0.94

18.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.51 $3.51

5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.23 $4.23

-20.33%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.71 $3.71

16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$15.09 $15.09

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.15 $13.15

7.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$20.09 $20.09

-18.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.73 $4.73

-3.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.63 $1.63

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.15 $5.15

-8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.79 $4.79

-13.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.80 $2.80

-7.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.13 $3.13

-24.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.16 $2.16

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.42 $2.42

-11.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.72 $10.72

-5.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.51 $15.51

-2.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.66 $2.66

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.36 $4.36

-21.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.82 $1.82

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.96 $3.96

-29.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.99 $1.99

-19.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$44.24 $44.24

-22.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.00 $1.00

-6.00%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$31.2K $31.2K

8.98%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.41%

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

$223 $223

$267 $267

-16.59%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$52.3 $52.3

12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$80.6 $80.6

-12.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$45.16 $45.16

27.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.12 $15.12

-5.69%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,719 $1,719

-12.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.8K $23.8K

-12.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$64.5 $64.5

-20.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$50.9 $50.9

-13.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$108 $108

-19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-12.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,812 $1,812

7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,239 $1,239

6.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,614 $2,614

40.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,021 $2,021

26.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,912 $2,912

152.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,284 $2,284

36.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.69

1.49%

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 Island, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5% 5.9% $78

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2% 6.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Rock Island, IL

$400 15% 13.5% $48

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9% 1.9% $6.6

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8% 19.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8% 12.6% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8% 63.4% $37

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 $1,812 in Rock Island, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $67.0 in Rock Island, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $431, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

37,108

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Rock Island, IL 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rock Island, 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 Rock Island, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rock Island, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rock Island, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,995 in Rock Island, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,812 in Rock Island, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,719 in Rock Island, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rock Island, IL – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

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 Island, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.