Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and St Helens

For one person, living is cheaper in St Helens: $1,993 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
St Helens
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,993
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,993 in St Helens.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • St Helens $1,993

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,045 in St Helens.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • St Helens $3,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,098 in St Helens.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • St Helens $4,098

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 34% more expensive than in St Helens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, St Helens 48% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
St Helens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$26.90 £20.18
-22.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$78.6 £59.0
7.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$10.48 £7.86
17.56%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$4.08 £3.06
37.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.37 £1.78
56.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.99 £1.50
25.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$5.36 £4.02
50.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$4.54 £3.41
98.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
St Helens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.34 £1.01
-16.42%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.77 £1.33
111.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.94 £1.46
68.04%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$4.01 £3.01
3.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$9.00 £6.75
43.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$8.28 £6.21
71.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$10.66 £7.99
52.16%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.25 £2.44
33.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.30 £0.97
12.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$3.03 £2.27
48.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.45 £2.59
25.80%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.15 £0.86
124.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.83 £1.37
28.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.30 £0.98
36.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.30 £0.98
70.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$19.59 £14.70
-49.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$9.96 £7.47
51.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.86 £2.14
2.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.61 £1.95
32.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
St Helens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.65 £1.99
-43.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$100 £75.1
-58.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.37 £2.53
-18.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.07 £1.56
-19.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$15.82 £11.87
123.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.94 £1.46
-51.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$26.4K £19.8K
36.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$33.6K £25.2K
-19.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
St Helens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$365 £274
-37.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$17.20 £12.91
245.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$43.87 £32.91
59.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
St Helens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$26.94 £20.21
112.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$3.85 £2.89
324.16%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$13.42 £10.07
6.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
St Helens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$805 £604
86.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,625 £4,971
223.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
St Helens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$65.0 £48.78
-18.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$39.08 £29.32
12.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$72.3 £54.3
17.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$109 £81.7
-5.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
St Helens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$797 £598
139.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$636 £477
100.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,503 £1,128
143.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,257 £943
101.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$3,315 £2,487
129.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$2,308 £1,731
36.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
St Helens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$1,863 £1,398
174.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.21
30.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for St Helens: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
St Helens
$636 50.1% $638
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
St Helens
$276 31.8% $129
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
St Helens
$426 18.8% $67
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
St Helens
$349 1.4% $5
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
St Helens
$128 0.3% $0.4
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
St Helens
$54 37.3% $32
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
St Helens
$124 112% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $797 in St Helens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 175% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $79.0 in St Helens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $276 per month, with St Helens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇬🇧 St Helens
🕒 Local time
11:47 11:47 AM
17:47 5:47 PM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
183,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX St Helens 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • St Helens

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 Helens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or St Helens?
St Helens wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making St Helens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in St Helens?
Average pay runs 175% 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 Helens?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $797 in St Helens. 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 Helens?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,993 in St Helens – a 34% 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 Helens?
A monthly transit pass in St Helens runs roughly 140% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Austin, TX or in St Helens?
At $1,993 in St Helens versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in St Helens but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes St Helens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or St Helens?
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 St Helens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Austin, TX. 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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