Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sarasota, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,092 in Sarasota, FL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Sarasota, FL
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Sarasota, FL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Sarasota, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Sarasota, FL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,092 in Sarasota, FL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Sarasota, FL $3,092

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,623 in Sarasota, FL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Sarasota, FL $4,623

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,155 in Sarasota, FL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Sarasota, FL $6,155

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 16% less than in Sarasota, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Sarasota, FL 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$27.41 $27.41

-25.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$86.4 $86.4

-1.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.08 $11.08

9.39%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.60 $5.60

0.89%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.32 $3.32

10.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.85 $2.85

-17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.66 $5.66

39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.83 $6.83

29.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.34 $1.34

-14.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.07 $4.07

-9.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.90 $4.90

-32.45%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.04 $4.04

2.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.79 $15.79

-17.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.09 $14.09

-1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$23.10 $23.10

-29.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.08 $5.08

-7.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.48 $1.48

-2.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.63 $2.63

94.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.06 $6.06

-25.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.32 $5.32

-42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.86 $2.86

-16.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.23 $2.23

-19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.28 $2.28

-2.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.88 $8.88

12.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.83 $11.83

27.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.13 $2.13

36.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.34 $4.34

-23.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.52 $1.52

-19.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$50.1 $50.1

-19.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.03 $1.03

-7.77%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$37.2K $37.2K

-8.13%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.30%

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

$223 $223

$135 $135

65.20%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$45.51 $45.51

28.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$80.9 $80.9

-11.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$48.35 $48.35

9.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$14.12 $14.12

18.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$20.38 $20.38

-31.01%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$872 $872

67.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$16.5K $16.5K

29.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$64.9 $64.9

-19.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$49.35 $49.35

-13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$116 $116

-25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$158 $158

-34.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,220 $2,220

-4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,672 $1,672

-26.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$5,922 $5,922

-34.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,880 $2,880

-16.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,773 $4,773

55.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,800 $2,800

9.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,403 $4,403

17.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.35

7.40%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sarasota, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Sarasota, FL

$1.7K 54.1% 35.9% $441

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Sarasota, FL

$453 14.7% 10.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Sarasota, FL

$261 8.5% 25.9% $91

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Sarasota, FL

$386 12.5% 11% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Sarasota, FL

$175 5.6% 35.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Sarasota, FL

$89 2.9% 9.8% $8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Sarasota, FL

$56 * 1.8% 0.6% $0.3

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,220 in Sarasota, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $86 in Sarasota, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $453 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Sarasota, FL

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

16:13 4:13 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

52,942

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Sarasota, FL 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sarasota, FL

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 Sarasota, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Sarasota, FL. 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 18% 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 $2,220 in Sarasota, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $872 in Sarasota, FL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 19% less than in Sarasota, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.