Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and St Albans

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $2,887 in St Albans, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
St Albans
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,887
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in St Albans

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 St Albans actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,887 in St Albans.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • St Albans $2,887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,035 in St Albans.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • St Albans $4,035

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $5,184 in St Albans.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • St Albans $5,184

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 6% less than in St Albans, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, St Albans 115% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
St Albans
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$21.51 £16.26
-6.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$87.8 £66.3
-3.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$9.21 £6.96
34.09%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$4.47 £3.38
22.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$2.68 £2.02
42.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.89 £1.43
32.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$6.59 £4.98
22.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$6.53 £4.94
37.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
St Albans
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.58 £1.19
-28.48%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$1.56 £1.18
142.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.49 £1.88
30.52%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$4.27 £3.23
-3.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$9.94 £7.51
31.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$9.58 £7.24
49.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$13.50 £10.20
18.22%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$3.03 £2.29
44.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.35 £1.02
7.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$2.17 £1.64
109.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$3.22 £2.43
30.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.65 £1.25
59.39%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.40 £1.06
68.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.29 £0.97
36.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$2.02 £1.53
6.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$22.20 £16.77
-55.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$10.61 £8.02
38.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.76 £2.09
0.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$3.19 £2.41
9.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
St Albans
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.86 £2.16
-47.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$81.7 £61.7
-50.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$4.06 £3.07
-34.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$2.53 £1.91
-37.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$49.24 £37.21
-28.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.96 £1.48
-49.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$37.9K £28.7K
-5.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$41.2K £31.2K
-34.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
St Albans
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$334 £252
-34.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$18.18 £13.74
218.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$42.98 £32.48
59.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
St Albans
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$53.3 £40.29
8.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$13.13 £9.92
12.87%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$19.92 £15.05
-29.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
St Albans
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$2,568 £1,941
-41.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$10.6K £8,025
102.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
St Albans
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$78.4 £59.3
-34.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$46.29 £34.98
-4.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$90.2 £68.1
-5.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$123 £93.3
-14.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
St Albans
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$1,913 £1,446
0.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$1,532 £1,158
-16.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$2,902 £2,193
26.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$2,333 £1,763
8.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$9,189 £6,944
-17.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$6,816 £5,151
-53.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
St Albans
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$2,959 £2,236
72.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.4
25.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for St Albans: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
St Albans
$1.5K 20.4% $259
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
St Albans
$303 24.7% $100
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
St Albans
$318 8.7% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
St Albans
$395 14.3% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
St Albans
$152 18.3% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
St Albans
$93 8.1% $7
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
St Albans
$110 92.7% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,913 in St Albans. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $88.0 in St Albans. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $303, with St Albans cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇬🇧 St Albans
🕒 Local time
20:18 8:18 PM
02:18 2:18 AM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
57,795
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX St Albans 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • St Albans

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 St Albans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or St Albans?
Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in St Albans. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in St Albans?
Average pay runs 73% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to St Albans?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,913 in St Albans. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to St Albans?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,887 in St Albans – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to St Albans?
A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 102% less than in St Albans. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in St Albans?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or St Albans?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in St Albans. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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