Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sheldon, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Sheldon, IA: $2,422 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Sheldon, IA
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Sheldon, IA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Sheldon, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Sheldon, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,422 in Sheldon, IA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Sheldon, IA $2,422

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,545 in Sheldon, IA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Sheldon, IA $3,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,668 in Sheldon, IA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Sheldon, IA $4,668

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 11% more expensive than in Sheldon, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Sheldon, IA 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.26 $20.26

1.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$80.2 $80.2

5.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.08 $10.08

19.74%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.11 $6.11

-10.31%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.12 $3.12

21.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.26 $2.26

9.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.88 $6.88

17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.93 $7.93

11.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.86 $0.86

29.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.49 $3.49

6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$6.50 $6.50

-48.15%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.04 $2.04

111.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.31 $10.31

27.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.05 $13.05

8.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$8.69 $8.69

87.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.64 $5.64

-19.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.30 $1.30

12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.59 $5.59

-15.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.03 $5.03

-17.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.47 $4.47

-42.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.26 $4.26

-44.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.61 $2.61

-18.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$13.00 $13.00

-22.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$16.21 $16.21

-6.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$5.58 $5.58

-38.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.92 $1.92

-19.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.92 $4.92

-43.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.74 $1.74

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.16 $24.16

42.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.07 $1.07

-12.15%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.0K $30.0K

13.11%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.49%

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

$223 $223

$179 $179

24.19%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$54.4 $54.4

8.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$72.4 $72.4

-2.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$38.61 $38.61

49.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.73 $15.73

-9.35%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,391 $1,391

8.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$36.5K $36.5K

-42.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$57.0 $57.0

-10.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$44.91 $44.91

-1.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$99.7 $99.7

-12.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$106 $106

-1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,445 $1,445

34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,146 $1,146

14.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,227 $2,227

64.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,834 $1,834

39.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,825 $2,825

160.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,372 $2,372

31.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.66

1.95%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sheldon, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Sheldon, IA

$1.1K 47.3% 12.9% $170

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Sheldon, IA

$402 16.6% 0.9% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Sheldon, IA

$306 12.6% 13.1% $46

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Sheldon, IA

$338 13.9% 3.6% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Sheldon, IA

$139 5.7% 7.3% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Sheldon, IA

$70 2.9% 18.7% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Sheldon, IA

$21 * 0.9% 63.2% $37

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 $1,445 in Sheldon, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $80.0 in Sheldon, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $402 per month, with Sheldon, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Sheldon, IA

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,200

💱 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 Sheldon, IA 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sheldon, IA

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 Sheldon, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sheldon, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sheldon, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,633 in Sheldon, IA 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 $1,445 in Sheldon, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,391 in Sheldon, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sheldon, IA – a meal for two runs $80.0 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 $3,000. Sheldon, IA 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 Sheldon, IA 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 Sheldon, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.