Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Shelby Township, MI

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Shelby Township, MI: $2,698 and $2,609 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Shelby Township, MI
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Shelby Township, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Shelby Township, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Shelby Township, MI

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 Shelby Township, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,609 in Shelby Township, MI.

Austin, TX $2,698
Shelby Township, MI $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,806 in Shelby Township, MI.

Austin, TX $4,160
Shelby Township, MI $3,806

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,003 in Shelby Township, MI.

Austin, TX $5,622
Shelby Township, MI $5,003

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in Shelby Township, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Shelby Township, MI 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.60 $19.60

5.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$75.1 $75.1

12.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.35 $11.35

6.34%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.41 $5.41

1.29%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.62 $2.62

45.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.94 $1.94

27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.36 $5.36

50.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.02 $8.02

10.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.12 $1.12

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.03 $3.03

22.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.67 $4.67

-27.84%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.69 $4.69

-7.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.57 $13.57

-3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.48 $11.48

23.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.05 $15.05

8.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.51 $5.51

-17.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.55 $1.55

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.00 $4.00

17.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.39 $4.39

-5.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.40 $2.40

7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.91 $2.91

-19.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.92 $1.92

-7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.50 $2.50

-14.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.87 $9.87

2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.73 $14.73

3.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.25 $2.25

25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.08 $3.08

11.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.24 $2.24

-31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.73 $2.73

2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.95 $1.95

-17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.81 $30.81

11.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.17 $1.17

-19.66%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.2K $26.2K

29.67%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

7.99%

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

$223 $223

$228 $228

-2.20%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$59.0 $59.0

-0.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.5 $70.5

0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.87 $40.87

41.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.88 $13.88

2.74%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,609 $1,609

-6.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$20.5K $20.5K

1.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.55 $40.55

8.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$88.7 $88.7

-1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$125 $125

-16.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,627 $1,627

19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,313 $1,313

0.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,522 $2,522

45.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,178 $2,178

17.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,389 $2,389

207.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,365 $2,365

32.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,785 $4,785

10.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shelby Township, MI: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Shelby Township, MI

$1.3K 50.3% 0.3% $3.6

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Shelby Township, MI

$395 15.1% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Shelby Township, MI

$357 13.7% 1.4% $4.9

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Shelby Township, MI

$317 12.2% 9.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Shelby Township, MI

$138 5.3% 6.6% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Shelby Township, MI

$69 2.6% 20.4% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Shelby Township, MI

$21 * 0.8% 63% $36

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 $1,627 in Shelby Township, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $75.0 in Shelby Township, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $395 per month, with Shelby Township, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Shelby Township, MI

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,018

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Shelby Township, MI 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Shelby Township, MI

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 Shelby Township, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shelby Township, MI 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 Shelby Township, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% 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 $1,627 in Shelby Township, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,609 in Shelby Township, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shelby Township, MI – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Shelby Township, MI 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Shelby Township, MI 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 Shelby Township, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.