Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Charles, MO: $2,184 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
106

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Saint Charles, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Saint Charles, MO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,184 in Saint Charles, MO.

Austin, TX $2,698
Saint Charles, MO $2,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,474 in Saint Charles, MO.

Austin, TX $4,160
Saint Charles, MO $3,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,763 in Saint Charles, MO.

Austin, TX $5,622
Saint Charles, MO $4,763

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 24% more expensive than in Saint Charles, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Saint Charles, MO 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$14.80 $14.80

39.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$60.0 $60.0

40.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.83 $11.83

2.03%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.84 $4.84

13.22%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.61 $2.61

45.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.85 $1.85

33.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.06 $5.06

59.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.15 $6.15

44.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.75 $0.75

48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.60 $2.60

43.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$6.27 $6.27

-46.25%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.12 $3.12

38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.38 $9.38

39.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.51 $6.51

117.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$24.11 $24.11

-32.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.71 $3.71

22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.16 $2.16

-32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$10.18 $10.18

-53.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.12 $5.12

-18.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.62 $3.62

-28.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.71 $3.71

-36.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.11 $2.11

-16.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.16 $2.16

-0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.14 $11.14

-9.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.02 $12.02

26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.89 $1.89

49.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.57 $2.57

33.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$4.90 $4.90

-68.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.05 $3.05

-8.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.69 $1.69

-5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$49.89 $49.89

-31.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.91 $0.91

3.30%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

23.42%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.50%

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

$223 $223

$334 $334

-33.43%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$61.0 $61.0

-3.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$75.5 $75.5

-6.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$49.26 $49.26

17.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.93 $11.93

19.53%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$980 $980

54.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$68.9 $68.9

-25.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$42.64 $42.64

3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$78.6 $78.6

10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$160 $160

-34.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,479 $1,479

31.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$790 $790

66.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,970 $1,970

85.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,917 $1,917

33.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,223 $4,223

25.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.58

3.19%

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, MO: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Saint Charles, MO

$790 36.2% 39.9% $526

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Saint Charles, MO

$393 18% 3.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Saint Charles, MO

$471 21.6% 33.8% $119

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Saint Charles, MO

$267 12.3% 23.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Saint Charles, MO

$158 7.2% 22.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Saint Charles, MO

$73 3.4% 15.2% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Saint Charles, MO

$31 * 1.4% 46.3% $27

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 $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 25% 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 $60.0 in Saint Charles, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $393 per month, with Saint Charles, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, MO

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 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

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Between locations

Austin, TX Saint Charles, MO 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Saint Charles, MO

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, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Charles, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint Charles, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 25% 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 $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $980 in Saint Charles, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint Charles, MO – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Saint Charles, MO 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, MO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Saint Charles, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.