Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Joseph, MO: $2,485 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MO
Learn more

Saint Joseph, MO Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Saint Joseph, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO.

Austin, TX $2,698
Saint Joseph, MO $2,485

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,629 in Saint Joseph, MO.

Austin, TX $4,160
Saint Joseph, MO $3,629

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,773 in Saint Joseph, MO.

Austin, TX $5,622
Saint Joseph, MO $4,773

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Saint Joseph, 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 Joseph, MO 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.25 $20.25

1.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$50.1 $50.1

68.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.79 $10.79

11.86%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.09 $5.09

7.66%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.14 $2.14

77.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.10 $1.10

124.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.92 $4.92

63.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.61 $7.61

16.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.89 $0.89

24.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.26 $3.26

14.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$6.10 $6.10

-44.75%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.67 $4.67

-7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.63 $11.63

12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.39 $8.39

68.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.71 $14.71

11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$6.98 $6.98

-34.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.16 $2.16

-32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.80 $5.80

-18.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.36 $4.36

-4.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.42 $3.42

-24.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.73 $3.73

-37.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.91 $1.91

-7.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.53 $2.53

-15.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.74 $8.74

15.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$17.28 $17.28

-12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.87 $1.87

50.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.45 $2.45

40.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.97 $1.97

-21.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$5.10 $5.10

-45.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.81 $1.81

-11.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$35.53 $35.53

-3.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.04 $1.04

-9.62%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

22.78%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.39%

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

$223 $223

$147 $147

51.50%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$47.87 $47.87

23.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$66.0 $66.0

6.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.97 $40.97

40.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.29 $15.29

-6.74%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$812 $812

86.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$20.8K $20.8K

0.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$47.92 $47.92

6.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$34.63 $34.63

27.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$89.1 $89.1

-2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$116 $116

-10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,616 $1,616

20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,289 $1,289

2.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,489 $2,489

47.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,185 $2,185

17.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,569 $1,569

368.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,566 $1,566

99.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,880 $2,880

83.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.37

6.59%

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 Joseph, MO: 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 Joseph, MO

$1.3K 51.9% 2% $27

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Saint Joseph, MO

$403 16.2% 0.7% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Saint Joseph, MO

$261 10.5% 25.9% $91

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Saint Joseph, MO

$308 12.4% 11.9% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Saint Joseph, MO

$130 5.2% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Saint Joseph, MO

$72 2.9% 17% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Saint Joseph, MO

$22 * 0.9% 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 $1,616 in Saint Joseph, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 84% 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 $50.0 in Saint Joseph, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $403 per month, with Saint Joseph, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MO

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

76,780

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Saint Joseph, MO 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Saint Joseph, 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 Joseph, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Joseph, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint Joseph, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 84% 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 $1,616 in Saint Joseph, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $812 in Saint Joseph, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint Joseph, MO – a meal for two runs $50.0 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 $2,000. Saint Joseph, 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.

Expats usually find Saint Joseph, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.