Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Schenectady, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Schenectady, NY: $2,516 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Schenectady, NY
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Schenectady, NY Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Schenectady, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Schenectady, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,516 in Schenectady, NY.

Austin, TX $2,607
Schenectady, NY $2,516

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,503 in Schenectady, NY.

Austin, TX $4,031
Schenectady, NY $3,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,491 in Schenectady, NY.

Austin, TX $5,454
Schenectady, NY $4,491

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 4% more expensive than in Schenectady, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Schenectady, NY 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.79 $19.79

2.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$74.4 $74.4

13.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$13.04 $13.04

-7.06%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.32 $5.32

6.20%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.68 $2.68

37.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.14 $2.14

10.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.97 $5.97

31.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.93 $8.93

-1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.06 $1.06

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.36 $4.36

-15.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.49 $4.49

-26.28%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.13 $5.13

-19.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$6.55 $6.55

98.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$15.20 $15.20

-8.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.49 $18.49

-11.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.95 $4.95

-5.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.88 $0.88

64.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.37 $5.37

-4.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.76 $4.76

-5.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.28 $3.28

-6.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.08 $1.08

120.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.23 $2.23

-19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.98 $1.98

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$13.43 $13.43

-25.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.90 $13.90

8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.92 $1.92

51.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.83 $2.83

17.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.51 $1.51

-19.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$55.1 $55.1

-26.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.95 $4.95

-43.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.41 $1.41

17.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.84 $29.84

18.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.04 $1.04

-8.65%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.4K $27.4K

24.74%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.49%

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

$223 $223

$212 $212

5.27%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$71.0 $71.0

-17.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$88.4 $88.4

-19.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$70.6 $70.6

-24.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.40 $12.40

13.39%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,497 $1,497

-2.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$16.8K $16.8K

26.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$39.80 $39.80

31.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$40.47 $40.47

5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$113 $113

-23.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$107 $107

-2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,296 $1,296

62.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,106 $1,106

11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,194 $2,194

76.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,440 $1,440

67.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,585 $2,585

187.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,610 $2,610

17.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,782 $3,782

36.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.51

4.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Schenectady, NY: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Schenectady, NY

$1.1K 44% 10.1% $124

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Schenectady, NY

$407 16.2% 0.7% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Schenectady, NY

$371 14.8% 5.3% $19

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Schenectady, NY

$328 13.1% 5.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Schenectady, NY

$135 5.4% 5% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Schenectady, NY

$95 3.8% 17.5% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Schenectady, NY

$73 2.9% 29.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,296 in Schenectady, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $74 in Schenectady, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $407 per month, with Schenectady, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Schenectady, NY

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

67,047

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Schenectady, NY 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Schenectady, NY

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 Schenectady, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schenectady, NY wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Schenectady, NY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% 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 $1,296 in Schenectady, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,497 in Schenectady, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Schenectady, NY – a meal for two runs $74 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

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.

It comes down to priorities – Schenectady, NY wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.