Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Starkville, MS

For one person, living is cheaper in Starkville, MS: $1,796 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Starkville, MS
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Starkville, MS Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Starkville, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Starkville, MS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,796 in Starkville, MS.

Austin, TX $2,698
Starkville, MS $1,796

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,733 in Starkville, MS.

Austin, TX $4,160
Starkville, MS $2,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,669 in Starkville, MS.

Austin, TX $5,622
Starkville, MS $3,669

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 50% more expensive than in Starkville, MS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Starkville, MS 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$14.85 $14.85

38.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$59.8 $59.8

41.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.46 $8.46

42.67%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.27 $4.27

28.34%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.38 $2.38

59.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.85 $1.85

33.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.97 $3.97

102.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.94 $6.94

27.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.88 $0.88

26.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.19 $3.19

16.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.68 $2.68

25.75%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.21 $4.21

2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.34 $9.34

40.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.36 $11.36

24.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.05 $15.05

8.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.81 $3.81

19.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.39 $1.39

5.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.45 $3.45

36.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.95 $2.95

40.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.18 $2.18

18.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.19 $2.19

7.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.14 $2.14

-17.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.92 $1.92

11.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.41 $8.41

20.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.11 $10.11

50.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.63 $1.63

73.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.30 $3.30

4.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.41 $4.41

-36.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.87 $1.87

-14.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$32.98 $32.98

4.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.87 $0.87

8.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.4K $30.4K

11.87%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.11%

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

$223 $223

$169 $169

31.54%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$30.57 $30.57

92.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$52.3 $52.3

34.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$17.28 $17.28

233.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$8.19 $8.19

74.11%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,534 $1,534

-1.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$8,370 $8,370

149.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$72.7 $72.7

-29.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$52.2 $52.2

-15.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$86.9 $86.9

0.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$168 $168

-38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$942 $942

105.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$748 $748

75.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,584 $1,584

131.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,349 $1,349

90.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,125 $2,125

246.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,183 $2,183

43.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,273 $4,273

23.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.65

2.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Starkville, MS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Starkville, MS

$748 41.6% 43.2% $568

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Starkville, MS

$332 18.5% 18.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Starkville, MS

$252 14% 28.4% $100

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Starkville, MS

$246 13.7% 29.7% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Starkville, MS

$171 9.5% 32.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Starkville, MS

$34 1.9% 61% $53

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Starkville, MS

$14 * 0.8% 76.2% $44

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $942 in Starkville, MS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 24% 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 $60.0 in Starkville, MS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $332 per month, with Starkville, MS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Starkville, MS

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

22,638

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Starkville, MS 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Starkville, MS

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 Starkville, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Starkville, MS wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Starkville, MS the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $942 in Starkville, MS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,534 in Starkville, MS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Starkville, MS – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,796 in Starkville, MS versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Starkville, MS but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Starkville, MS 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.

Expats usually find Starkville, MS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.