Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Schaumburg, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Schaumburg, IL
Learn more

Schaumburg, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Schaumburg, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Schaumburg, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Schaumburg, IL $3,270

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,555 in Schaumburg, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Schaumburg, IL $4,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,840 in Schaumburg, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Schaumburg, IL $5,840

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 18% less than in Schaumburg, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Schaumburg, IL 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.02 $15.02

37.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$101 $101

-15.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$13.24 $13.24

-8.84%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.80 $4.80

14.17%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.56 $2.56

48.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.22 $2.22

11.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.53 $4.53

77.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.13 $6.13

44.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.86 $0.86

29.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.16 $4.16

-10.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$7.50 $7.50

-55.07%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.04 $4.04

6.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$14.89 $14.89

-11.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.54 $13.54

4.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.42 $17.42

-6.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.36 $5.36

-15.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.06 $3.06

-52.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.83 $4.83

-2.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.08 $4.08

1.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.34 $3.34

-22.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.26 $3.26

-27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.97 $1.97

-10.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.40 $3.40

-37.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$17.77 $17.77

-43.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$19.19 $19.19

-20.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$5.59 $5.59

-38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.93 $0.93

1.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

31.45%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$29.3K $29.3K

-8.71%

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

$223 $223

$339 $339

-34.41%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$77.6 $77.6

-24.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$149 $149

-52.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$64.1 $64.1

-10.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$40.45 $40.45

-59.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$19.63 $19.63

-27.36%

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

$1,511 $1,511

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$85.0K $85.0K

-75.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$74.3 $74.3

-31.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$50.7 $50.7

-12.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$101 $101

-13.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,896 $1,896

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,713 $1,713

-23.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,769 $2,769

32.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,507 $2,507

2.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,132 $2,132

244.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,090 $2,090

49.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,001 $5,001

5.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.1

11.31%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Schaumburg, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Schaumburg, IL

$1.7K 52.4% 30.1% $396

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Schaumburg, IL

$461 * 14.1% 13.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Schaumburg, IL

$566 17.3% 60.7% $214

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Schaumburg, IL

$271 8.3% 22.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Schaumburg, IL

$156 4.8% 20.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Schaumburg, IL

$103 3.2% 19.9% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Schaumburg, IL

- * 0% 100%

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,896 in Schaumburg, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 6% 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 $101 in Schaumburg, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $461 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Schaumburg, IL

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

78,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Schaumburg, IL 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Schaumburg, IL

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 Schaumburg, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Schaumburg, IL. 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 6% 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 $1,896 in Schaumburg, IL. 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 $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Schaumburg, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $2,698 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 Schaumburg, IL 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 21% less than in Schaumburg, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.