Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Saint Joseph, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Joseph, MI: $1,920 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MI
Learn more

Saint Joseph, MI Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Saint Joseph, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Saint Joseph, MI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI.

Austin, TX $2,607
Saint Joseph, MI $1,920

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,070 in Saint Joseph, MI.

Austin, TX $4,031
Saint Joseph, MI $3,070

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,219 in Saint Joseph, MI.

Austin, TX $5,454
Saint Joseph, MI $4,219

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 36% more expensive than in Saint Joseph, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Saint Joseph, MI 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$13.89 $13.89

46.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$73.9 $73.9

14.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$8.74 $8.74

38.67%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.01 $4.01

40.90%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.00 $3.00

22.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.04 $2.04

15.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.91 $3.91

101.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.97 $4.97

77.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.81 $0.81

40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.86 $2.86

29.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.96 $2.96

11.82%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.53 $3.53

17.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$7.85 $7.85

65.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.53 $10.53

31.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$8.36 $8.36

95.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.71 $5.71

-17.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.65 $1.65

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.53 $3.53

44.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.39 $5.39

-16.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.75 $1.75

76.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.22 $3.22

-26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.63 $1.63

10.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.46 $2.46

-9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$12.15 $12.15

-17.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$8.21 $8.21

83.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.70 $1.70

71.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.30 $3.30

0.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.02 $2.02

-39.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$53.9 $53.9

-24.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.05 $3.05

-8.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.79 $1.79

-7.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.76 $29.76

18.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.80 $0.80

18.75%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$24.4K $24.4K

39.93%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.31%

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

$223 $223

$172 $172

29.94%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$51.1 $51.1

14.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$51.9 $51.9

37.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$41.52 $41.52

27.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$10.59 $10.59

32.77%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,521 $1,521

-4.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.4K $23.4K

-8.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$40.22 $40.22

30.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$49.07 $49.07

-12.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$76.1 $76.1

13.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$75.6 $75.6

37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,075 $1,075

96.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$842 $842

46.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,887 $1,887

104.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,791 $1,791

34.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,773 $2,773

167.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,380 $2,380

28.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,999 $4,999

3.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.43

6.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Joseph, MI: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Saint Joseph, MI

$842 43.9% 31.5% $388

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Saint Joseph, MI

$323 16.8% 21.2% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Saint Joseph, MI

$275 14.3% 22.2% $78

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Saint Joseph, MI

$235 12.3% 32.4% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Saint Joseph, MI

$108 5.7% 15.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Saint Joseph, MI

$63 3.3% 22.7% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Saint Joseph, MI

$74 3.9% 31% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,075 in Saint Joseph, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 4% 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 $74 in Saint Joseph, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $323 per month, with Saint Joseph, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MI

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

76,780

💱 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 Saint Joseph, MI 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Saint Joseph, MI

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 Joseph, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Joseph, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Saint Joseph, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,075 in Saint Joseph, MI. 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 $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 25% less than in Saint Joseph, MI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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