Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Salisbury, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Salisbury, MD: $2,285 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Salisbury, MD
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Salisbury, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Salisbury, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Salisbury, MD

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,285 in Salisbury, MD.

Austin, TX $2,698
Salisbury, MD $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,723 in Salisbury, MD.

Austin, TX $4,160
Salisbury, MD $3,723

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,161 in Salisbury, MD.

Austin, TX $5,622
Salisbury, MD $5,161

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 18% more expensive than in Salisbury, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Salisbury, MD 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$22.36 $22.36

-7.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$96.0 $96.0

-11.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.69 $11.69

3.25%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.03 $4.03

35.98%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.92 $2.92

30.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.96 $1.96

26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.66 $6.66

20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.74 $8.74

1.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.85 $0.85

30.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.37 $2.37

56.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.83 $3.83

-12.01%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.67 $4.67

-7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.31 $13.31

-1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$15.65 $15.65

-9.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.83 $13.83

18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.93 $4.93

-7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.36 $1.36

7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.01 $2.01

134.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.21 $3.21

29.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.23 $2.23

15.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.64 $2.64

-10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.80 $1.80

-1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.11 $2.11

1.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.10 $8.10

24.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.10 $12.10

25.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.41 $1.41

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.47 $1.47

134.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.95 $1.95

-21.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$49.31 $49.31

-16.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.86 $4.86

-42.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.84 $1.84

-13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.59 $30.59

12.26%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

40.39%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.42%

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

$223 $223

$146 $146

52.56%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$39.54 $39.54

48.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$24.92 $24.92

183.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$62.2 $62.2

-7.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$22.16 $22.16

-25.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$16.86 $16.86

-15.42%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,486 $1,486

1.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$10.1K $10.1K

106.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$88.6 $88.6

-42.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$56.6 $56.6

-21.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$141 $141

-38.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$151 $151

-30.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,209 $1,209

60.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,016 $1,016

29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,453 $2,453

49.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,122 $2,122

20.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,211 $2,211

232.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,242 $2,242

39.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,419 $3,419

54.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.99

-2.86%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salisbury, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Salisbury, MD

$1K 44.5% 22.8% $300

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Salisbury, MD

$361 15.8% 11% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Salisbury, MD

$210 9.2% 40.2% $142

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Salisbury, MD

$333 14.6% 5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Salisbury, MD

$197 8.6% 52.6% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Salisbury, MD

$96 4.2% 11.2% $9.7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Salisbury, MD

$71 3.1% 22.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,209 in Salisbury, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 55% 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 $96.0 in Salisbury, MD. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $361, with Salisbury, MD cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Salisbury, MD

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

23:56 11:56 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

28,480

💱 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 Salisbury, MD 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Salisbury, MD

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 Salisbury, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salisbury, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Salisbury, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 55% 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 $1,209 in Salisbury, MD. 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 $2,285 in Salisbury, MD – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Salisbury, MD runs roughly 20% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,285 in Salisbury, MD versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salisbury, MD but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Salisbury, MD 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 Salisbury, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.