Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Surprise, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Surprise, AZ: $1,301 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,301

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Surprise, AZ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,301 in Surprise, AZ.

Austin, TX $2,698
Surprise, AZ $1,301

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,613 in Surprise, AZ.

Austin, TX $4,160
Surprise, AZ $3,613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,926 in Surprise, AZ.

Austin, TX $5,622
Surprise, AZ $5,926

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 107% more expensive than in Surprise, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Surprise, AZ is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.11 $20.11

2.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$86.5 $86.5

-2.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$13.13 $13.13

-8.07%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.18 $6.18

-11.33%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.76 $2.76

37.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.44 $2.44

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.82 $6.82

18.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.14 $8.14

9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.02 $1.02

8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.68 $3.68

1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.15 $5.15

-34.56%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.70 $4.70

-8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.40 $13.40

-2.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.35 $11.35

24.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.86 $14.86

9.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.63 $4.63

-1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.95 $1.95

-25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.95 $3.95

19.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.45 $2.45

5.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.86 $2.86

-17.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.10 $2.10

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.10 $2.10

1.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.84 $10.84

-6.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.46 $13.46

12.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.42 $2.42

16.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.25 $3.25

5.85%

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

$2.78 $2.78

0.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.36 $1.36

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$36.40 $36.40

-5.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.09 $1.09

-13.76%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-5.90%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.37%

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

$223 $223

$195 $195

14.46%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$61.5 $61.5

-4.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$73.7 $73.7

-4.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$59.7 $59.7

-3.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.17 $13.17

8.28%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,121 $1,121

34.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$15.8K $15.8K

32.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$54.1 $54.1

-5.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.66 $43.66

1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$97.3 $97.3

-10.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 $114

-8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,107 $2,107

73.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$3,013 $3,013

-14.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,645 $1,645

90.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,368 $4,368

21.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.44

5.43%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Surprise, AZ: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Surprise, AZ

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Surprise, AZ

$391 30.1% 3.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Surprise, AZ

$330 25.3% 6.4% $22

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Surprise, AZ

$346 26.6% 1.3% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Surprise, AZ

$139 10.7% 7.7% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Surprise, AZ

$86 6.6% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Surprise, AZ

$9.6 * 0.7% 83.5% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 21% 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 $87.0 in Surprise, AZ. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $391, with Surprise, AZ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

02:33 2:33 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

143,148

💱 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 Surprise, AZ 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surprise, AZ wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Surprise, AZ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% 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.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,121 in Surprise, AZ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surprise, AZ – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,301 in Surprise, AZ versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surprise, AZ but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Surprise, AZ 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 Surprise, AZ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.