Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Somerset, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,962 in Somerset, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Somerset, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
190

Cost of Living Index in Somerset, NJ
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Somerset, NJ Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Somerset, NJ

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 Somerset, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,962 in Somerset, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,607
Somerset, NJ $3,962

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,428 in Somerset, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,031
Somerset, NJ $4,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,895 in Somerset, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,454
Somerset, NJ $4,895

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 34% less than in Somerset, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Somerset, NJ 191% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.73 $17.73

14.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$39.35 $39.35

115.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$7.91 $7.91

53.22%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.03 $5.03

12.33%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.96 $1.96

87.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.54 $1.54

53.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.18 $8.18

-3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.96 $6.96

26.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.26 $1.26

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.47 $4.47

-17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.95 $5.95

-44.37%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.05 $2.05

102.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.03 $13.03

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.40 $10.40

33.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$20.19 $20.19

-19.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.94 $5.94

-21.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.48 $3.48

-58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.22 $4.22

21.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.43 $5.43

-16.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.12 $3.12

-1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.06 $3.06

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.45 $2.45

-26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.05 $3.05

-27.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$15.01 $15.01

-33.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.77 $14.77

1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.85 $1.85

57.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.47 $3.47

-4.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.06 $2.06

-40.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$67.2 $67.2

-39.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.92 $2.92

-4.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.21 $2.21

-25.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$41.53 $41.53

-14.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.09 $1.09

-12.84%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

22.41%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.63%

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

$223 $223

$169 $169

31.62%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$51.7 $51.7

13.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$50.5 $50.5

41.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.94 $40.94

29.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$20.65 $20.65

-31.91%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,040 $2,040

-28.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$15.7K $15.7K

35.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.81 $49.81

5.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$40.80 $40.80

4.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$85.8 $85.8

0.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

-0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,581 $1,581

33.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$2,655 $2,655

-53.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,533 $2,533

52.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,142 $2,142

12.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,682 $2,682

176.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,400 $2,400

27.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.8

0.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Somerset, NJ: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Somerset, NJ

$2.7K 67% 116% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Somerset, NJ

$443 11.2% 8.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Somerset, NJ

$272 6.9% 23% $81

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Somerset, NJ

$295 7.4% 15.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Somerset, NJ

$126 3.2% 1.6% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Somerset, NJ

$82 2.1% 1.3% $1.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Somerset, NJ

$89 2.3% 58.3% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,581 in Somerset, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $39 in Somerset, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $443, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

10:07 10:07 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

11,924

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Somerset, NJ 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Somerset, NJ

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 Somerset, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Somerset, NJ. 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 $5,943 in Somerset, NJ 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 $1,581 in Somerset, NJ. 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 $3,962 in Somerset, NJ – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 40% less than in Somerset, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching 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.

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.