Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sioux Falls, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Sioux Falls, SD: $2,114 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Sioux Falls, SD
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Sioux Falls, SD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Sioux Falls, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Sioux Falls, SD

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 Sioux Falls, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,114 in Sioux Falls, SD.

Austin, TX $2,663
Sioux Falls, SD $2,114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,124 in Sioux Falls, SD.

Austin, TX $4,133
Sioux Falls, SD $3,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,133 in Sioux Falls, SD.

Austin, TX $5,603
Sioux Falls, SD $4,133

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 26% more expensive than in Sioux Falls, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Sioux Falls, SD 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.88 $11.88

74.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$75.3 $75.3

12.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.08 $10.08

22.22%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.24 $4.24

32.78%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.73 $2.73

36.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.86 $1.86

34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.01 $4.01

100.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.52 $6.52

38.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.82 $0.82

36.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.83 $2.83

32.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.75 $4.75

-31.37%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.48 $3.48

19.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.53 $12.53

2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.49 $9.49

49.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.56 $15.56

4.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.56 $4.56

-5.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.56 $1.56

-6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.63 $3.63

24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.50 $3.50

24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.13 $2.13

21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.29 $3.29

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.15 $2.15

-17.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.71 $1.71

29.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.66 $9.66

2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.83 $10.83

39.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.26 $2.26

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.55 $2.55

35.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.46 $1.46

2.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$30.47 $30.47

36.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.77 $3.77

-27.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.67 $1.67

-0.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$34.91 $34.91

1.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.04 $1.04

-8.65%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.2K $35.2K

2.45%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.8K $24.8K

9.24%

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

$229 $229

$251 $251

-8.62%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$46.46 $46.46

27.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$55.9 $55.9

25.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$44.46 $44.46

28.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$34.80 $34.80

-53.07%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.59 $12.59

13.42%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,019 $1,019

47.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,667 $7,667

179.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$32.74 $32.74

61.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$29.87 $29.87

46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$121 $121

-30.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$136 $136

-24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,365 $1,365

39.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$926 $926

37.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,033 $2,033

80.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,519 $1,519

67.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,511 $2,511

203.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,193 $2,193

43.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,306 $4,306

18.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.87

-1.16%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sioux Falls, SD: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Sioux Falls, SD

$926 43.8% 27.3% $348

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Sioux Falls, SD

$345 16.3% 14.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Sioux Falls, SD

$353 16.7% 1.5% $5.4

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Sioux Falls, SD

$228 10.8% 35.7% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Sioux Falls, SD

$144 6.8% 12.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Sioux Falls, SD

$70 3.3% 18.8% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Sioux Falls, SD

$48 2.3% 17.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,365 in Sioux Falls, SD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% 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 Sioux Falls, SD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $345 per month, with Sioux Falls, SD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Sioux Falls, SD

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

192,517

💱 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 Sioux Falls, SD 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sioux Falls, SD

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 Sioux Falls, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sioux Falls, SD wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sioux Falls, SD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,365 in Sioux Falls, SD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,114 in Sioux Falls, SD – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sioux Falls, SD runs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,114 in Sioux Falls, SD versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sioux Falls, SD but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sioux Falls, SD the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Sioux Falls, SD 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 Sioux Falls, SD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.