Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Salem

For one person, living is cheaper in Salem: $350 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Salem
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Salem Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Salem

🇮🇳 India

$350

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Salem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $350 in Salem.

Austin, TX $2,663
Salem $350

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $555 in Salem.

Austin, TX $4,133
Salem $555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $760 in Salem.

Austin, TX $5,603
Salem $760

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 662% more expensive than in Salem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Salem is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.13 ₹202

875.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$7.11 ₹675

1089.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.61 ₹343

241.27%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.25 ₹119

350.40%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.44 ₹41.46

745.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.16 ₹15.53

1462.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.07 ₹197

288.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.72 ₹448

90.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.58 ₹54.8

93.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.45 ₹42.42

733.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.51 ₹48.37

539.22%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$0.68 ₹64.5

513.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$5.13 ₹487

151.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$2.57 ₹244

450.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.94 ₹184

123.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.72 ₹68.5

102.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.33 ₹126

239.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.37 ₹34.98

1072.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.41 ₹38.99

529.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.42 ₹40.03

459.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.25 ₹23.78

612.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.29 ₹27.39

665.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.05 ₹480

95.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$3.03 ₹287

397.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.45 ₹138

101.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.20 ₹208

57.27%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.66 ₹348

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.20 ₹18.99

645.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$9.57 ₹909

335.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.04 ₹98.7

162.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.14 ₹13.76

1085.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$1.08 ₹102

3168.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 ₹105

-14.41%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$15.0K ₹1.4M

139.74%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.9K ₹1.8M

43.48%

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

$229 $229

$52.2 ₹4,960

338.34%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$2.82 ₹267

2006.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.75 ₹926

617.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$17.66 ₹1,677

224.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.56 ₹907

70.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$2.06 ₹195

593.20%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$54.5 ₹5,173

2664.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,682 ₹159.7K

1175.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$19.12 ₹1,815

176.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$14.31 ₹1,359

206.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$29.83 ₹2,833

184.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$27.41 ₹2,603

275.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$103 ₹9,734

1760.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$56.3 ₹5,346

2163.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$257 ₹24.4K

1325.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$166 ₹15.7K

1432.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,288 ₹122.3K

491.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$427 ₹40.5K

640.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$342 ₹32.5K

1395.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.4

-34.71%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Salem: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Salem

$56 16.1% 95.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Salem

$89 25.4% 78.1% $316

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Salem

$65 18.5% 81.9% $293

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Salem

$65 18.6% 81.6% $289

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Salem

$41 11.7% 68.1% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Salem

$22 6.2% 74.6% $64

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Salem

$12 3.5% 79.3% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $103 in Salem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1396% 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 $7.00 in Salem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $89.0 per month, with Salem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇳 Salem

🕒 Local time

04:27 4:27 AM

14:57 2:57 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

831,038

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

INR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Salem 15,330 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Salem

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 Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salem wins on cost – living expenses run 662% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Salem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1396% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $103 in Salem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $350 in Salem – a 662% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Salem runs roughly 336% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $350 in Salem versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salem but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Salem 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 Salem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 662% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.