Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Stafford

For one person, living is cheaper in Stafford: $2,210 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Stafford
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Stafford Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Stafford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Stafford

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,210 in Stafford.

Austin, TX $2,704
Stafford $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,285 in Stafford.

Austin, TX $4,133
Stafford $3,285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,361 in Stafford.

Austin, TX $5,562
Stafford $4,361

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 22% more expensive than in Stafford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Stafford 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$20.20 £15.26

0.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$72.3 £54.6

17.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.63 £8.03

16.18%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.50 £3.40

21.56%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.10 £1.59

81.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.71 £1.29

46.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$6.78 £5.12

18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.37 £4.06

67.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.75 £1.32

-35.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.50 £1.13

152.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.05 £1.55

58.54%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.51 £2.65

17.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.13 £7.66

29.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.01 £6.81

58.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$12.65 £9.56

26.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.91 £2.20

50.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.68 £1.27

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.72 £2.81

22.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.55 £2.68

18.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.00 £1.51

31.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.78 £1.34

32.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.17 £0.89

50.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.65 £1.25

30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$20.98 £15.85

-53.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$9.13 £6.90

61.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.36 £2.54

-17.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.83 £2.89

-9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.76 £3.60

-68.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$93.7 £70.8

-56.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.61 £1.98

2.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.34 £1.01

17.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$24.91 £18.82

41.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.15 £1.62

-53.95%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$37.9K £28.6K

-5.55%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$40.9K £30.9K

-33.63%

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

$219 $219

$291 £220

-24.73%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$19.35 £14.62

199.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$41.69 £31.51

63.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$40.25 £30.42

43.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$18.84 £14.23

-21.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$15.84 £11.97

-10.80%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$926 £700

62.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$26.9K £20.4K

-20.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$73.9 £55.8

-30.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$46.31 £34.99

-4.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$83.5 £63.1

1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$98.7 £74.6

6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,134 £857

70.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$938 £709

35.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,596 £1,206

130.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,604 £1,212

57.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,938 £2,976

93.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,404 £2,572

-6.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$3,016 £2,279

69.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.37

26.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Stafford: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Stafford

$938 42.1% 26.3% $334

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Stafford

$302 13.6% 25% $101

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Stafford

$307 13.8% 11.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Stafford

$352 15.8% 2% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Stafford

$136 6.1% 5.7% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Stafford

$72 3.2% 16.5% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Stafford

$122 5.5% 114% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,134 in Stafford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 69% 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 $72.0 in Stafford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $302 per month, with Stafford cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇧 Stafford

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

01:36 1:36 AM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

71,673

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Stafford 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Stafford

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 Stafford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stafford wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Stafford the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,134 in Stafford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,210 in Stafford – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Stafford runs roughly 131% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,210 in Stafford versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stafford but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Stafford 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Stafford are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Stafford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.