Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sugar Land, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Sugar Land, TX: $2,235 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Sugar Land, TX
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Sugar Land, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Sugar Land, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Sugar Land, TX

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 Sugar Land, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,235 in Sugar Land, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
Sugar Land, TX $2,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,321 in Sugar Land, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
Sugar Land, TX $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,407 in Sugar Land, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
Sugar Land, TX $4,407

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 17% more expensive than in Sugar Land, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Sugar Land, TX 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.18 $20.18

0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$75.3 $75.3

12.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.04 $11.04

9.78%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.40 $5.40

4.63%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.64 $2.64

39.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.33 $2.33

1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.82 $5.82

35.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.93 $7.93

11.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.11 $1.11

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.24 $3.24

13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.19 $3.19

3.76%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.97 $3.97

4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.48 $11.48

13.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.67 $12.67

9.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.99 $15.99

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.63 $4.63

1.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.40 $1.40

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.97 $2.97

72.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.88 $3.88

16.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.10 $2.10

46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.28 $2.28

4.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.75 $1.75

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.15 $2.15

3.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.16 $10.16

-1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.34 $14.34

4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.55 $2.55

14.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.97 $2.97

12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.83 $2.83

-1.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.41 $1.41

17.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.88 $23.88

48.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.91 $0.91

4.40%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$34.7K $34.7K

-1.31%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.37%

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

$223 $223

$199 $199

12.27%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$57.5 $57.5

1.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$70.5 $70.5

1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$39.85 $39.85

33.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.15 $14.15

-0.64%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,466 $1,466

-0.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-0.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.52 $49.52

6.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$85.1 $85.1

1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$94.0 $94.0

10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,366 $1,366

54.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,013 $1,013

21.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,036 $2,036

89.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,714 $1,714

40.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,830 $1,830

305.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,829 $1,829

67.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$7,209 $7,209

-28.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.7

1.79%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sugar Land, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Sugar Land, TX

$1K 45.3% 17.7% $218

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Sugar Land, TX

$372 16.6% 9.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Sugar Land, TX

$327 14.6% 7.4% $26

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Sugar Land, TX

$324 14.5% 6.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Sugar Land, TX

$122 5.5% 4.9% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Sugar Land, TX

$68 3.1% 16% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Sugar Land, TX

$9.9 * 0.4% 82.5% $47

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,366 in Sugar Land, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sugar Land, TX pays 39% 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 $75 in Sugar Land, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $372 per month, with Sugar Land, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Sugar Land, TX

🕒 Local time

00:39 12:39 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

79,943

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Sugar Land, TX 220 km

From you

Austin, TX
Sugar Land, TX

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 Sugar Land, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sugar Land, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sugar Land, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% 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 $1,366 in Sugar Land, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,466 in Sugar Land, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sugar Land, TX – a meal for two runs $75 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,235 in Sugar Land, TX versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sugar Land, TX but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sugar Land, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.