Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Saint Charles, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Saint Charles, IL: $2,698 and $2,710 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Saint Charles, IL
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Saint Charles, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Saint Charles, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,710 in Saint Charles, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Saint Charles, IL $2,710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,230 in Saint Charles, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Saint Charles, IL $4,230

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,749 in Saint Charles, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Saint Charles, IL $5,749

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Saint Charles, IL; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Saint Charles, IL 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$38.02 $38.02

-45.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$99.6 $99.6

-15.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.63 $10.63

13.55%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.85 $6.85

-20.00%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.37 $3.37

12.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.07 $3.07

-19.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.03 $7.03

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.54 $7.54

17.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.98 $0.98

13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.55 $3.55

4.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.23 $4.23

-20.33%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.57 $4.57

-5.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.33 $12.33

6.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.47 $11.47

23.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.85 $12.85

27.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.08 $5.08

-10.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.01 $1.01

44.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.34 $4.34

8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.78 $4.78

-13.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.75 $2.75

-6.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.04 $3.04

-22.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.57 $1.57

12.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.23 $2.23

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.41 $11.41

-11.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.12 $15.12

0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.93 $1.93

46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.46 $3.46

-0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.02 $2.02

-23.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.24 $3.24

-13.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.64 $1.64

-2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$32.52 $32.52

5.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.99 $0.99

-5.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.0K $26.0K

30.71%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.67%

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

$223 $223

$195 $195

13.93%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$66.6 $66.6

-11.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.9 $70.9

-0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$43.09 $43.09

33.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.74 $14.74

-3.26%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,358 $1,358

11.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-20.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$51.1 $51.1

0.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.30 $39.30

12.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$75.7 $75.7

14.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$131 $131

-20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,800 $1,800

7.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,277 $1,277

3.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,543 $2,543

44.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,472 $2,472

3.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,065 $3,065

139.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,620 $2,620

19.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saint Charles, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Saint Charles, IL

$1.3K 47.1% 3% $39

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Saint Charles, IL

$380 14% 6.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Saint Charles, IL

$333 12.3% 5.5% $19

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Saint Charles, IL

$494 18.2% 41.2% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Saint Charles, IL

$134 4.9% 3.6% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Saint Charles, IL

$73 2.7% 15.8% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Saint Charles, IL

$20 * 0.7% 66.3% $38

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 $1,800 in Saint Charles, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $100 in Saint Charles, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $380, with Saint Charles, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, IL

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

70,329

💱 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 Saint Charles, IL 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $4,065 in Saint Charles, 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 $1,800 in Saint Charles, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Saint Charles, IL pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $100 in Saint Charles, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Saint Charles, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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