Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockford, IL: $2,166 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Rockford, IL
Learn more

Rockford, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Rockford, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,166 in Rockford, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Rockford, IL $2,166

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,480 in Rockford, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Rockford, IL $3,480

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,794 in Rockford, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Rockford, IL $4,794

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 25% more expensive than in Rockford, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Rockford, IL 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.72 $15.72

31.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.6 $73.6

14.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.97 $9.97

21.06%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.03 $5.03

8.95%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.82 $2.82

34.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.99 $1.99

24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.59 $4.59

75.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.83 $6.83

30.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.82 $0.82

35.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.40 $3.40

9.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.30 $5.30

-36.42%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.91 $2.91

48.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.07 $10.07

30.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.99 $13.99

1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.79 $16.79

-2.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.78 $4.78

-4.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.53 $1.53

-4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.79 $3.79

24.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.15 $5.15

-19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.45 $2.45

5.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.59 $2.59

-9.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.23 $2.23

-20.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.85 $1.85

15.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.97 $10.97

-7.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.82 $15.82

-3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.99 $1.99

41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.86 $1.86

84.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.52 $1.52

1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$55.5 $55.5

-26.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.75 $2.75

1.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.58 $1.58

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$20.70 $20.70

65.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.04 $1.04

-9.62%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$33.5K $33.5K

1.43%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.32%

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

$223 $223

$192 $192

15.81%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$45.71 $45.71

28.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$71.1 $71.1

-0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.82 $41.82

37.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$25.44 $25.44

-35.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.03 $14.03

1.64%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$520 $520

190.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$4,074 $4,074

412.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$45.23 $45.23

13.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$35.80 $35.80

23.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$93.1 $93.1

-6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$113 $113

-7.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,293 $1,293

50.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$925 $925

42.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,298 $2,298

59.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,040 $2,040

25.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,476 $1,476

398.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,421 $1,421

120.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,398 $3,398

55.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.49

4.62%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rockford, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Rockford, IL

$925 42.7% 29.7% $391

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Rockford, IL

$389 17.9% 4.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Rockford, IL

$309 14.3% 12.2% $43

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Rockford, IL

$272 12.6% 22.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Rockford, IL

$129 6% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Rockford, IL

$70 3.2% 19% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Rockford, IL

$72 3.3% 24.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,293 in Rockford, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 56% 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 $74.0 in Rockford, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $389 per month, with Rockford, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Rockford, IL

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

148,655

💱 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 Rockford, IL 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Rockford, IL 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 Rockford, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 56% 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 $1,293 in Rockford, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,166 in Rockford, IL – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rockford, IL runs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,166 in Rockford, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rockford, IL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rockford, IL 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 Rockford, IL 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.