Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Silver Spring, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,701 in Silver Spring, MD, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Silver Spring, MD
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Silver Spring, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Silver Spring, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Silver Spring, MD

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 Silver Spring, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,701 in Silver Spring, MD.

Austin, TX $2,607
Silver Spring, MD $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,945 in Silver Spring, MD.

Austin, TX $4,031
Silver Spring, MD $3,945

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,190 in Silver Spring, MD.

Austin, TX $5,454
Silver Spring, MD $5,190

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 3% less than in Silver Spring, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Silver Spring, MD 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$13.30 $13.30

53.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$89.1 $89.1

-4.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$7.38 $7.38

64.23%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.92 $5.92

-4.56%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.83 $2.83

30.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.47 $2.47

-4.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.80 $7.80

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.41 $8.41

4.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.20 $1.20

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.41 $4.41

-16.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.32 $5.32

-37.78%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.07 $5.07

-18.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$16.40 $16.40

-20.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$15.44 $15.44

-10.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$19.22 $19.22

-14.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.82 $4.82

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.65 $1.65

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.61 $4.61

10.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.23 $5.23

-13.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.94 $2.94

4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.08 $2.08

14.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.11 $2.11

-14.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.68 $2.68

-17.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.52 $9.52

4.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.02 $15.02

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.71 $1.71

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.78 $2.78

19.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.91 $3.91

-68.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$87.7 $87.7

-53.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.91 $3.91

-28.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.21 $1.21

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$25.03 $25.03

41.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.02 $1.02

-6.86%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.5K $27.5K

24.49%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.84%

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

$223 $223

$153 $153

45.99%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$48.89 $48.89

19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$62.0 $62.0

14.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$26.12 $26.12

103.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$21.62 $21.62

-22.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$16.45 $16.45

-14.53%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,901 $1,901

-23.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$35.9K $35.9K

-40.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$46.59 $46.59

12.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$36.93 $36.93

15.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$101 $101

-14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,884 $1,884

12.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,393 $1,393

-11.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,859 $3,859

0.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,154 $2,154

11.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,239 $4,239

75.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$3,104 $3,104

-1.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,138 $5,138

0.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.72

1.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Silver Spring, MD: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Silver Spring, MD

$1.4K 51.6% 13.2% $162

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Silver Spring, MD

$458 17% 11.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Silver Spring, MD

$264 9.8% 25.3% $89

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Silver Spring, MD

$277 10.2% 20.5% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Silver Spring, MD

$137 5.1% 7% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Silver Spring, MD

$59 2.2% 27.3% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Silver Spring, MD

$113 4.2% 101% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,884 in Silver Spring, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $89 in Silver Spring, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $458 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Silver Spring, MD

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

18:34 6:34 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

71,452

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Silver Spring, MD 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Silver Spring, MD

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 Silver Spring, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $4,051 in Silver Spring, MD 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,884 in Silver Spring, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,701 in Silver Spring, MD – Austin, TX is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in Silver Spring, MD. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.