Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rocky Mount, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Rocky Mount, NC: $2,059 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Rocky Mount, NC
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Rocky Mount, NC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Rocky Mount, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Rocky Mount, NC

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 Rocky Mount, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,059 in Rocky Mount, NC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Rocky Mount, NC $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,178 in Rocky Mount, NC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Rocky Mount, NC $3,178

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,296 in Rocky Mount, NC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Rocky Mount, NC $4,296

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 31% more expensive than in Rocky Mount, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Rocky Mount, NC 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.19 $18.19

13.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$70.4 $70.4

20.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.17 $12.17

-0.82%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.82 $4.82

13.69%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.28 $2.28

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.65 $1.65

49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.03 $6.03

33.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.00 $7.00

26.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.87 $0.87

27.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.70 $3.70

0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.22 $3.22

4.66%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.70 $3.70

16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.06 $13.06

0.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.83 $8.83

60.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.05 $17.05

-4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.00 $4.00

13.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.29 $2.29

-36.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.04 $4.04

16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.36 $4.36

-4.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.39 $2.39

7.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.20 $3.20

-26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.82 $1.82

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.18 $2.18

-1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.78 $8.78

15.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.22 $15.22

-0.20%

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

$2.92 $2.92

17.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.21 $2.21

-30.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.95 $1.95

43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.26 $2.26

-29.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$17.88 $17.88

92.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 $1.02

-7.84%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

25.29%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.14%

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

$223 $223

$179 $179

24.42%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$70.9 $70.9

-16.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$63.6 $63.6

11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$46.02 $46.02

25.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.02 $14.02

1.71%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$787 $787

92.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.8K $24.8K

-15.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$50.9 $50.9

0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$37.66 $37.66

17.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$70.5 $70.5

23.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 $114

-8.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$975 $975

98.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$856 $856

53.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,435 $1,435

155.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,633 $1,633

57.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,693 $1,693

334.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,704 $1,704

83.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,834 $2,834

86.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.32

7.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rocky Mount, NC: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Rocky Mount, NC

$856 41.6% 35% $461

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Rocky Mount, NC

$371 18% 8.5% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Rocky Mount, NC

$313 15.2% 11% $39

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Rocky Mount, NC

$300 14.6% 14.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Rocky Mount, NC

$123 6% 4.6% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Rocky Mount, NC

$74 3.6% 14.1% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Rocky Mount, NC

$22 * 1.1% 61.9% $36

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 $975 in Rocky Mount, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 87% 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 $70.0 in Rocky Mount, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $371 per month, with Rocky Mount, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Rocky Mount, NC

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

23:17 11:17 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

58,968

💱 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 Rocky Mount, NC 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rocky Mount, NC

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 Rocky Mount, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rocky Mount, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rocky Mount, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% 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 $975 in Rocky Mount, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $787 in Rocky Mount, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rocky Mount, NC – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,059 in Rocky Mount, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Rocky Mount, NC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rocky Mount, NC 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 Rocky Mount, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.