Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Springfield, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,924 in Springfield, VA, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Springfield, VA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, VA
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Springfield, VA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Springfield, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Springfield, VA

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 Springfield, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,924 in Springfield, VA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Springfield, VA $2,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,643 in Springfield, VA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Springfield, VA $4,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,361 in Springfield, VA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Springfield, VA $6,361

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 11% less than in Springfield, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Springfield, VA 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.10 $18.10

12.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$94.5 $94.5

-10.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.79 $10.79

12.33%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.25 $5.25

7.62%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.14 $3.14

17.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.63 $2.63

-10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.21 $7.21

9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.05 $8.05

9.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.16 $1.16

-1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.98 $3.98

-7.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.20 $4.20

-21.19%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.88 $4.88

-14.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.86 $12.86

0.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.91 $12.91

7.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.22 $18.22

-10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.93 $5.93

-20.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.51 $1.51

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.00 $5.00

2.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.01 $5.01

-9.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.74 $2.74

12.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.91 $2.91

-18.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.37 $2.37

-24.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.35 $2.35

-5.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$13.50 $13.50

-26.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.72 $15.72

-4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.53 $2.53

15.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.98 $3.98

-16.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.85 $1.85

50.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.38 $1.38

19.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.28 $24.28

45.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.08 $1.08

-12.04%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.3K $34.3K

-0.31%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.41%

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

$223 $223

$215 $215

3.62%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$74.7 $74.7

-21.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$76.8 $76.8

-7.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$18.23 $18.23

190.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.61 $14.61

-3.76%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,958 $1,958

-25.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$34.8K $34.8K

-38.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$54.1 $54.1

-2.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$43.96 $43.96

-2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$91.5 $91.5

-5.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$113 $113

-7.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,565 $1,565

34.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,617 $1,617

-23.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,773 $2,773

39.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,410 $3,410

-29.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$7,040 $7,040

-26.43%

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 Springfield, VA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Springfield, VA

$1.6K 55.3% 31.4% $386

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Springfield, VA

$433 14.8% 5.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Springfield, VA

$367 12.5% 4% $14

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Springfield, VA

$315 10.8% 9.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Springfield, VA

$136 4.7% 5.9% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Springfield, VA

$47 1.6% 41.5% $34

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Springfield, VA

$8.8 * 0.3% 84.5% $48

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 $1,565 in Springfield, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Springfield, VA pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $95 in Springfield, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $433 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Springfield, VA

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

04:00 4:00 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

116,482

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Springfield, VA 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Springfield, VA

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 Springfield, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,565 in Springfield, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,958 in Springfield, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $95 in Springfield, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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