Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Texas City, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Texas City, TX: $1,949 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Texas City, TX
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Texas City, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Texas City, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Texas City, 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 Texas City, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,949 in Texas City, TX.

Austin, TX $2,689
Texas City, TX $1,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,818 in Texas City, TX.

Austin, TX $4,112
Texas City, TX $2,818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $3,688 in Texas City, TX.

Austin, TX $5,534
Texas City, TX $3,688

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 38% more expensive than in Texas City, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Texas City, TX 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$18.03 $18.03

18.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$74.6 $74.6

17.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.98 $9.98

24.65%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.08 $4.08

37.25%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$1.27 $1.27

187.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.96 $1.96

21.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.99 $5.99

30.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$6.95 $6.95

25.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.69 $0.69

62.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.17 $2.17

66.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.49 $3.49

0.29%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.97 $3.97

12.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$4.53 $4.53

190.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$4.35 $4.35

220.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$6.51 $6.51

152.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.61 $4.61

2.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.46 $1.46

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.54 $4.54

2.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.36 $4.36

3.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.59 $2.59

-1.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.46 $2.46

-2.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.79 $1.79

2.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.11 $2.11

0.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$10.11 $10.11

-0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.83 $14.83

0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.88 $2.88

-2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.31 $3.31

-0.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.99 $0.99

24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$40.74 $40.74

1.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.81 $2.81

-4.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.65 $1.65

-1.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$19.81 $19.81

77.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.77 $0.77

27.27%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$34.9K $34.9K

-1.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.34%

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

$252 $252

$248 $248

1.86%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$25.34 $25.34

136.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$70.6 $70.6

-1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$15.20 $15.20

297.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$14.24 $14.24

-3.44%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,223 $1,223

19.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.3K $27.3K

-2.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$51.2 $51.2

2.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$46.50 $46.50

-1.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$85.8 $85.8

-0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

-0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,105 $1,105

98.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$815 $815

55.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,675 $1,675

138.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,265 $1,265

90.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$9,062 $9,062

-18.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$7,910 $7,910

-62.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$4,609 $4,609

9.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.53

4.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Texas City, TX: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Texas City, TX

$815 41.8% 35.8% $454

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Texas City, TX

$281 14.4% 31% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Texas City, TX

$344 17.6% 10% $38

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Texas City, TX

$280 14.4% 21.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Texas City, TX

$130 6.7% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Texas City, TX

$44 2.2% 50.3% $44

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Texas City, TX

$56 2.9% 2.5% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,105 in Texas City, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 9% 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: $88 in Austin, TX vs $75 in Texas City, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $281 per month, with Texas City, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Texas City, TX

🕒 Local time

22:38 10:38 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

45,099

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Texas City, TX 290 km

From you

Austin, TX
Texas City, 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 Texas City, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Texas City, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Texas City, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,105 in Texas City, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $1,223 in Texas City, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Texas City, TX – a meal for two runs $75 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Texas City, TX wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.