Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockford, MI: $2,489 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Rockford, MI
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Rockford, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Rockford, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,489

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,489 in Rockford, MI.

Austin, TX $2,607
Rockford, MI $2,489

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,732 in Rockford, MI.

Austin, TX $4,031
Rockford, MI $3,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,974 in Rockford, MI.

Austin, TX $5,454
Rockford, MI $4,974

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 5% more expensive than in Rockford, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Rockford, MI 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.83 $19.83

2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$74.0 $74.0

14.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.93 $9.93

22.05%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.40 $4.40

28.41%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.63 $2.63

39.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.67 $1.67

41.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.15 $6.15

27.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.53 $6.53

35.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.78 $0.78

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.77 $3.77

-2.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.36 $3.36

-1.49%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.37 $4.37

-5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.84 $13.84

-6.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$14.77 $14.77

10.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.83 $4.83

-2.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.66 $1.66

-12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.01 $4.01

27.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.90 $4.90

-7.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.19 $2.19

40.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.65 $2.65

-10.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.17 $2.17

-17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.47 $2.47

-10.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.14 $10.14

-1.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.03 $15.03

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.03 $2.03

43.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.53 $2.53

31.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.81 $1.81

-32.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$51.9 $51.9

-21.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.27 $3.27

-14.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.36 $1.36

21.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$25.17 $25.17

40.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.12 $1.12

-15.18%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

27.44%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.72%

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

$223 $223

$128 $128

73.96%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$50.6 $50.6

15.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$61.2 $61.2

16.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$34.85 $34.85

52.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.59 $13.59

3.46%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$907 $907

60.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$20.8K $20.8K

2.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$64.3 $64.3

-18.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$50.8 $50.8

-15.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$101 $101

-14.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$116 $116

-10.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,378 $1,378

53.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,265 $1,265

-2.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,873 $2,873

34.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,183 $2,183

10.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,869 $2,869

158.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,369 $2,369

29.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.81

0.15%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rockford, MI: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Rockford, MI

$1.3K 50.8% 2.8% $34

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Rockford, MI

$402 16.1% 2% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Rockford, MI

$240 9.6% 31.9% $113

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Rockford, MI

$302 12.1% 13.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Rockford, MI

$150 6% 16.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Rockford, MI

$62 2.5% 23.6% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Rockford, MI

$69 2.8% 22.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,378 in Rockford, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $74 in Rockford, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $402 per month, with Rockford, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Rockford, MI

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

02:28 2:28 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

148,655

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Rockford, MI 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Rockford, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rockford, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,734 in Rockford, MI 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,378 in Rockford, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $907 in Rockford, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rockford, MI – a meal for two runs $74 versus $85 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. Rockford, MI 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.