Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rockville, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,247 in Rockville, MD, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Rockville, MD
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Rockville, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Rockville, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,247

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Rockville, MD

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,247 in Rockville, MD.

Austin, TX $2,607
Rockville, MD $3,247

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,701 in Rockville, MD.

Austin, TX $4,031
Rockville, MD $4,701

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,154 in Rockville, MD.

Austin, TX $5,454
Rockville, MD $6,154

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 20% less than in Rockville, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Rockville, MD 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$22.62 $22.62

-10.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$74.7 $74.7

13.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.19 $10.19

18.94%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.31 $5.31

6.40%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.42 $2.42

52.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.77 $1.77

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.63 $6.63

18.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.47 $7.47

18.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.13 $1.13

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.98 $2.98

23.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.66 $2.66

24.44%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.81 $3.81

8.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.75 $9.75

33.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.32 $9.32

48.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.29 $18.29

-10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.74 $4.74

-1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.27 $1.27

14.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.38 $4.38

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.87 $3.87

16.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.60 $2.60

18.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.46 $2.46

-3.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.59 $2.59

-30.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.80 $1.80

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$14.00 $14.00

-28.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.48 $14.48

3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.41 $2.41

20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.76 $3.76

-11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.16 $3.16

-61.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$110 $110

-63.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.05 $5.05

-44.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.11 $1.11

48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.29 $23.29

51.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.07 $1.07

-11.21%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.3K $34.3K

-0.21%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.72%

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

$223 $223

$297 $297

-25.03%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$50.7 $50.7

15.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$60.6 $60.6

17.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$42.82 $42.82

23.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$12.46 $12.46

34.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$16.64 $16.64

-15.50%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,934 $1,934

-24.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$27.7K $27.7K

-22.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$46.01 $46.01

14.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$39.71 $39.71

7.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$88.5 $88.5

-2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$133 $133

-21.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,213 $2,213

-4.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,791 $1,791

-31.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,763 $3,763

2.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,061 $3,061

-21.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,172 $4,172

77.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,976 $2,976

2.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$6,378 $6,378

-18.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.46

5.57%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rockville, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Rockville, MD

$1.8K 55.2% 45.6% $561

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Rockville, MD

$359 11.1% 12.4% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Rockville, MD

$409 12.6% 15.9% $56

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Rockville, MD

$340 10.5% 2.3% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Rockville, MD

$138 4.3% 7.5% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Rockville, MD

$76 2.3% 6.2% $5.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Rockville, MD

$133 4.1% 136% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,213 in Rockville, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rockville, MD pays 23% 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 in Austin, TX vs $75 in Rockville, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $359 per month, with Rockville, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Rockville, MD

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

11:11 11:11 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

67,139

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Rockville, MD 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rockville, MD

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 Rockville, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Rockville, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,213 in Rockville, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,247 in Rockville, MD – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 63% less than in Rockville, MD. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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

For families, Austin, TX is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rockville, MD, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Rockville, MD on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.