Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Scalea

For one person, living is cheaper in Scalea: $1,727 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Scalea
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Scalea Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Scalea

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,727 in Scalea.

Austin, TX $2,698
Scalea $1,727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,568 in Scalea.

Austin, TX $4,160
Scalea $2,568

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,408 in Scalea.

Austin, TX $5,622
Scalea $3,408

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 56% more expensive than in Scalea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Scalea 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$16.97 €15.09

21.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$55.3 €49.17

52.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.26 €10.01

7.19%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.09 €1.86

162.20%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.97 €2.64

27.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.13 €1.89

15.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.79 €6.04

18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.27 €3.80

107.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.26 €1.12

-11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.58 €1.41

135.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.63 €2.34

28.14%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.48 €3.10

24.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.38 €10.12

15.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.88 €10.57

19.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.59 €13.87

4.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.92 €1.71

136.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.67 €1.49

-12.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.38 €1.23

241.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.56 €2.28

62.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.78 €1.58

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.28 €1.14

83.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.29 €1.14

37.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.44 €0.39

386.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$6.86 €6.10

47.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$7.68 €6.83

97.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.84 €1.64

53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.54 €1.37

123.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.59 €1.41

-3.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$43.36 €38.57

-5.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.57 €4.06

-38.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.09 €0.97

46.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$22.07 €19.63

55.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.14 €1.90

-56.07%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$36.3K €32.3K

-6.42%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$36.5K €32.4K

-26.61%

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

$223 $223

$306 €272

-27.29%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$10.58 €9.41

456.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$34.67 €30.84

103.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$56.2 €49.99

2.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$26.48 €23.55

-37.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$8.91 €7.93

60.04%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$457 €407

230.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$6,688 €5,949

212.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$82.6 €73.5

-37.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$33.33 €29.64

32.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$88.0 €78.2

-1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$128 €114

-18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$658 €585

194.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$558 €496

135.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,057 €940

246.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$976 €868

162.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,430 €1,272

414.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,170 €1,041

167.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.55

91.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Scalea: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Scalea

$558 32.3% 57.6% $758

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Scalea

$277 16% 31.7% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Scalea

$351 20.4% 0.2% $0.7

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Scalea

$258 14.9% 26.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Scalea

$150 8.7% 15.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Scalea

$74 4.3% 14.1% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Scalea

$60 3.5% 3.1% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $658 in Scalea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $55.0 in Scalea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $277 per month, with Scalea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇹 Scalea

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

17:10 5:10 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,913

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Scalea 9,640 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Scalea

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 Scalea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scalea wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Scalea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $2,591 in Scalea to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $658 in Scalea. 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 $1,727 in Scalea – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Scalea runs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,727 in Scalea versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Scalea but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Scalea 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Scalea 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 Scalea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.