Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Spartanburg, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Spartanburg, SC: $2,268 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Spartanburg, SC
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Spartanburg, SC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Spartanburg, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Spartanburg, SC

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 Spartanburg, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,268 in Spartanburg, SC.

Austin, TX $2,607
Spartanburg, SC $2,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,352 in Spartanburg, SC.

Austin, TX $4,031
Spartanburg, SC $3,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,435 in Spartanburg, SC.

Austin, TX $5,454
Spartanburg, SC $4,435

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than in Spartanburg, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Spartanburg, SC 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.11 $17.11

18.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$59.4 $59.4

42.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.93 $9.93

22.05%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.62 $5.62

0.53%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.24 $2.24

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.86 $4.86

61.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.85 $6.85

28.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.94 $0.94

21.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.46 $3.46

6.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.36 $5.36

-38.25%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.80 $3.80

9.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.99 $12.99

-0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.54 $12.54

10.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.30 $16.30

0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.25 $3.25

44.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.36 $2.36

-38.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.89 $3.89

31.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.98 $5.98

-24.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.57 $2.57

19.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.72 $3.72

-36.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.24 $2.24

-19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.94 $2.94

-24.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.13 $9.13

9.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$16.44 $16.44

-8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$6.88 $6.88

-51.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$122 $122

-66.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.80 $0.80

18.75%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.6K $34.6K

-1.24%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.07%

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

$223 $223

$175 $175

27.11%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$91.9 $91.9

-36.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$62.3 $62.3

14.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$26.35 $26.35

101.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.23 $12.23

14.96%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$960 $960

51.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$42.11 $42.11

24.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$35.61 $35.61

20.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$80.4 $80.4

7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-14.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,267 $1,267

66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$937 $937

31.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,180 $2,180

77.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,560 $1,560

54.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,793 $1,793

314.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,806 $1,806

69.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,369 $3,369

53.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

7.22

-5.54%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Spartanburg, SC: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Spartanburg, SC

$937 41.3% 23.9% $294

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Spartanburg, SC

$413 * 18.2% 0.8% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Spartanburg, SC

$330 14.5% 6.5% $23

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Spartanburg, SC

$291 12.8% 16.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Spartanburg, SC

$126 5.5% 2.2% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Spartanburg, SC

$51 2.2% 37.4% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Spartanburg, SC

$122 * 5.4% 115% $65

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,267 in Spartanburg, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $59 in Spartanburg, SC. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $413, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Spartanburg, SC

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

21:01 9:01 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

37,013

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Spartanburg, SC 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Spartanburg, SC

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 Spartanburg, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spartanburg, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Spartanburg, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,267 in Spartanburg, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $960 in Spartanburg, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Spartanburg, SC – a meal for two runs $59 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Spartanburg, SC 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.

It comes down to priorities – Spartanburg, SC wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.