Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Salt Lake City, UT

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Salt Lake City, UT: $2,663 and $2,701 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Austin, TX $2,663
Salt Lake City, UT $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,887 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Austin, TX $4,133
Salt Lake City, UT $3,887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,074 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Austin, TX $5,603
Salt Lake City, UT $5,074

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 1% less than in Salt Lake City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Salt Lake City, UT 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$18.33 $18.33

13.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$72.4 $72.4

16.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.07 $10.07

22.34%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.01 $5.01

12.38%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.25 $2.25

65.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.72 $1.72

45.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.91 $5.91

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.90 $7.90

14.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.89 $0.89

25.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.79 $3.79

-1.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.20 $4.20

-22.38%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.19 $4.19

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.98 $11.98

7.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.05 $12.05

17.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.00 $17.00

-4.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.01 $4.01

7.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.43 $1.43

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.72 $3.72

21.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.86 $3.86

12.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.21 $2.21

16.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.46 $2.46

-4.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.87 $1.87

-4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.86 $1.86

19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.02 $10.02

-1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.75 $14.75

2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.65 $2.65

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.26 $3.26

6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.54 $2.54

-41.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$86.5 $86.5

-51.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.48 $2.48

10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.36 $2.36

-29.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$24.86 $24.86

42.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.15 $1.15

-17.39%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.4K $36.4K

-0.91%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

5.52%

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

$229 $229

$192 $192

19.42%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$49.40 $49.40

20.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$78.7 $78.7

-11.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$35.13 $35.13

62.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$26.90 $26.90

-39.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.02 $15.02

-4.93%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,282 $1,282

17.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$20.7K $20.7K

3.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$72.4 $72.4

-27.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$46.19 $46.19

-5.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$110 $110

-22.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$109 $109

-5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,668 $1,668

14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,373 $1,373

-7.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,887 $2,887

26.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,149 $2,149

18.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,211 $4,211

80.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,939 $2,939

7.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,197 $4,197

22.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.46

5.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.4K 50.9% 7.8% $99

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Salt Lake City, UT

$381 14.1% 5.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Salt Lake City, UT

$320 11.8% 10.7% $38

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Salt Lake City, UT

$298 11% 15.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Salt Lake City, UT

$152 5.6% 18.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Salt Lake City, UT

$65 2.4% 24% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Salt Lake City, UT

$111 4.1% 88.9% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $381 per month, with Salt Lake City, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🕒 Local time

18:27 6:27 PM

17:27 5:27 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

200,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Salt Lake City, UT 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Salt Lake City, UT. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT. 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 $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 107% less than in Salt Lake City, UT. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Salt Lake City, UT are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Salt Lake City, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.