Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and State College, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in State College, PA: $2,426 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in State College, PA
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State College, PA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

State College, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in State College, PA

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 State College, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,426 in State College, PA.

Austin, TX $2,698
State College, PA $2,426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,582 in State College, PA.

Austin, TX $4,160
State College, PA $3,582

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,737 in State College, PA.

Austin, TX $5,622
State College, PA $4,737

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 11% more expensive than in State College, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, State College, PA 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.30 $15.30

34.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$67.1 $67.1

26.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.28 $9.28

30.06%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.46 $3.46

58.38%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.51 $2.51

51.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.75 $1.75

41.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.87 $6.87

17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.51 $7.51

18.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.12 $1.12

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.05 $3.05

21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.04 $2.04

65.20%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.85 $3.85

12.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.85 $9.85

33.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.19 $9.19

53.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.07 $18.07

-9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.51 $3.51

29.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.33 $1.33

9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.50 $4.50

4.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.85 $3.85

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.74 $1.74

48.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.46 $2.46

-4.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.26 $2.26

-21.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.54 $1.54

38.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.73 $11.73

-13.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.38 $14.38

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.70 $1.70

65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.72 $3.72

-7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.23 $2.23

-30.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$85.9 $85.9

-52.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.98 $4.98

-43.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.08 $1.08

48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$22.85 $22.85

50.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.08 $1.08

-12.96%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

23.17%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.49%

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

$223 $223

$160 $160

39.26%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$40.38 $40.38

45.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$59.3 $59.3

19.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$24.65 $24.65

134.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$16.77 $16.77

-14.97%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,034 $1,034

46.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$27.4K $27.4K

-23.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$46.57 $46.57

10.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.71 $40.71

8.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$81.1 $81.1

7.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$132 $132

-21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,776 $1,776

9.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,270 $1,270

3.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,825 $2,825

29.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,170 $2,170

18.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,365 $2,365

210.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,083 $2,083

50.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,230 $4,230

24.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.46

5.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for State College, PA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

State College, PA

$1.3K 52.3% 3.5% $47

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

State College, PA

$340 14% 16.2% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

State College, PA

$260 10.7% 26.3% $93

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

State College, PA

$258 10.6% 26.2% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

State College, PA

$135 5.6% 4.9% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

State College, PA

$58 2.4% 32.5% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

State College, PA

$105 4.3% 81.5% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,776 in State College, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 25% 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 $67.0 in State College, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $340 per month, with State College, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 State College, PA

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

40,501

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX State College, PA 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
State College, PA

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 State College, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

State College, PA wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making State College, PA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 25% 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 $1,776 in State College, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,426 in State College, PA – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in State College, PA runs roughly 109% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. State College, PA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 State College, PA 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 State College, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.