Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and St. Cloud, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Cloud, MN: $1,992 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in St. Cloud, MN
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St. Cloud, MN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

St. Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in St. Cloud, MN

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. Cloud, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,992 in St. Cloud, MN.

Austin, TX $2,607
St. Cloud, MN $1,992

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,128 in St. Cloud, MN.

Austin, TX $4,031
St. Cloud, MN $3,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,263 in St. Cloud, MN.

Austin, TX $5,454
St. Cloud, MN $4,263

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 31% more expensive than in St. Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, St. Cloud, MN 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.83 $19.83

2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$76.4 $76.4

10.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.18 $11.18

8.41%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.96 $5.96

-5.20%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.84 $2.84

29.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.45 $2.45

-3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.79 $6.79

15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.92 $7.92

11.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.75 $0.75

52.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.79 $2.79

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.36 $3.36

-1.49%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.29 $2.29

81.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$4.79 $4.79

170.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.20 $9.20

50.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.67 $17.67

-7.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.78 $3.78

24.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.28 $1.28

13.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.37 $3.37

51.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.16 $2.16

109.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.80 $0.80

285.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.63 $1.63

46.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.03 $2.03

-11.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.89 $1.89

17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.86 $9.86

1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.23 $12.23

23.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.74 $1.74

67.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.45 $3.45

-3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.80 $1.80

-32.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$63.5 $63.5

-36.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.66 $2.66

4.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.55 $1.55

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$26.41 $26.41

34.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.92 $0.92

3.26%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.9K $26.9K

26.98%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.60%

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

$223 $223

$169 $169

31.84%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$47.05 $47.05

24.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$44.22 $44.22

60.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.36 $40.36

31.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.25 $14.25

-1.33%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,711 $1,711

-14.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.1K $21.1K

1.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$63.6 $63.6

-17.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$61.7 $61.7

-30.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$72.9 $72.9

18.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$83.5 $83.5

24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$987 $987

113.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$822 $822

49.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,884 $1,884

104.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,635 $1,635

47.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,835 $1,835

304.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,825 $1,825

67.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,348 $5,348

-3.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.61

3.18%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for St. Cloud, MN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

St. Cloud, MN

$822 41.2% 33.2% $409

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

St. Cloud, MN

$299 15% 27.1% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

St. Cloud, MN

$260 13.1% 26.2% $92

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

St. Cloud, MN

$335 16.8% 3.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

St. Cloud, MN

$127 6.4% 1.3% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

St. Cloud, MN

$69 3.5% 15.2% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

St. Cloud, MN

$81 4.1% 43.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $987 in St. Cloud, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Cloud, MN pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $76 in St. Cloud, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $299 per month, with St. Cloud, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 St. Cloud, MN

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

65,842

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX St. Cloud, MN 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
St. Cloud, MN

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. Cloud, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Cloud, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making St. Cloud, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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 $987 in St. Cloud, MN. 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 $1,992 in St. Cloud, MN – St. Cloud, MN is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 36% less than in St. Cloud, MN. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,992 in St. Cloud, MN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in St. Cloud, MN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes St. Cloud, MN 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.