Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Saint Cloud, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Cloud, MN: $1,894 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Saint Cloud, MN
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Saint Cloud, MN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Saint Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Saint Cloud, MN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN.

Austin, TX $2,698
Saint Cloud, MN $1,894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,718 in Saint Cloud, MN.

Austin, TX $4,160
Saint Cloud, MN $2,718

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,543 in Saint Cloud, MN.

Austin, TX $5,622
Saint Cloud, MN $3,543

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 42% more expensive than in Saint Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Saint Cloud, MN 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.19 $15.19

35.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$40.27 $40.27

110.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.63 $8.63

39.86%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.47 $4.47

22.60%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.88 $2.88

31.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.25 $2.25

9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.08 $6.08

32.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.85 $4.85

83.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.92 $0.92

20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.50 $1.50

148.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.90 $1.90

77.37%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.78 $3.78

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.54 $9.54

37.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.53 $6.53

116.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.42 $19.42

-15.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.66 $3.66

24.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.09 $1.09

33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.82 $2.82

67.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.63 $3.63

14.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.03 $2.03

27.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.91 $2.91

-19.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.99 $1.99

-11.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.08 $3.08

-30.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.38 $11.38

-11.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.07 $15.07

0.80%

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

$3.04 $3.04

13.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.71 $1.71

-9.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$59.8 $59.8

-31.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.48 $3.48

-19.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.84 $0.84

90.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$12.16 $12.16

182.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.92 $0.92

2.17%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.2K $30.2K

12.49%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.7K $23.7K

12.91%

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

$223 $223

$118 $118

88.83%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$46.72 $46.72

26.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$43.38 $43.38

62.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$24.65 $24.65

134.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$28.09 $28.09

-41.15%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.18 $12.18

17.08%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,709 $1,709

-11.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$5,778 $5,778

261.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$57.4 $57.4

-10.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$50.1 $50.1

-11.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$73.4 $73.4

18.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$78.9 $78.9

32.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$931 $931

108.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$862 $862

52.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,371 $1,371

167.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,290 $1,290

98.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,993 $1,993

268.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,745 $1,745

79.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,967 $3,967

33.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.61

2.72%

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 Cloud, MN: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Saint Cloud, MN

$862 45.5% 34.5% $455

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Saint Cloud, MN

$322 17% 20.7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Saint Cloud, MN

$208 11% 40.9% $144

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Saint Cloud, MN

$262 13.8% 25.2% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Saint Cloud, MN

$117 6.2% 9.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Saint Cloud, MN

$49 2.6% 43.2% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Saint Cloud, MN

$74 3.9% 28.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $931 in Saint Cloud, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 33% 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 $40.00 in Saint Cloud, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $322 per month, with Saint Cloud, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Saint Cloud, MN

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

67,109

💱 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 Cloud, MN 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Saint Cloud, MN

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 Cloud, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Cloud, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint Cloud, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% 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 $931 in Saint Cloud, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Saint Cloud, MN runs roughly 46% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Saint Cloud, MN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Saint Cloud, MN 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 Saint Cloud, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.