Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and The Dalles, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in The Dalles, OR: $2,414 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in The Dalles, OR
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The Dalles, OR Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

The Dalles, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in The Dalles, OR

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 The Dalles, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,414 in The Dalles, OR.

Austin, TX $2,607
The Dalles, OR $2,414

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,667 in The Dalles, OR.

Austin, TX $4,031
The Dalles, OR $3,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,921 in The Dalles, OR.

Austin, TX $5,454
The Dalles, OR $4,921

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 8% more expensive than in The Dalles, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, The Dalles, OR 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.97 $19.97

1.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$93.8 $93.8

-9.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.14 $12.14

-0.16%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.48 $4.48

26.12%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.42 $2.42

52.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.12 $2.12

11.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.87 $4.87

61.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.11 $7.11

24.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.09 $1.09

4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.28 $3.28

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.06 $4.06

-18.47%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.96 $2.96

40.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.94 $14.94

-13.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.07 $14.07

-1.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$11.07 $11.07

47.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.77 $4.77

-1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.71 $1.71

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.91 $3.91

30.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.00 $4.00

13.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.12 $3.12

-1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.33 $3.33

-28.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.79 $1.79

0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.03 $2.03

9.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.28 $11.28

-11.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.23 $15.23

-1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.69 $1.69

72.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.98 $2.98

11.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.06 $2.06

-40.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$59.2 $59.2

-31.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.52 $3.52

-21.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.21 $2.21

-25.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$49.16 $49.16

-28.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.23 $1.23

-22.76%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$25.2K $25.2K

35.65%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

9.20%

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

$223 $223

$188 $188

18.67%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.8 $59.8

-2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

-0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.12 $40.12

32.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.92 $11.92

17.95%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,012 $1,012

44.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$16.3K $16.3K

30.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$40.48 $40.48

29.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$34.67 $34.67

23.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$60.1 $60.1

43.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$80.1 $80.1

29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,565 $1,565

34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,163 $1,163

5.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,589 $2,589

49.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,067 $2,067

16.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,439 $2,439

204.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,112 $2,112

44.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,842 $3,842

34.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.59

3.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for The Dalles, OR: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

The Dalles, OR

$1.2K 48.2% 5.5% $67

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

The Dalles, OR

$382 15.8% 6.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

The Dalles, OR

$319 13.2% 9.6% $34

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

The Dalles, OR

$307 12.7% 11.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

The Dalles, OR

$97 4% 24.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

The Dalles, OR

$64 2.7% 21.2% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

The Dalles, OR

$82 3.4% 45.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,565 in The Dalles, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $94 in The Dalles, OR. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $382, with The Dalles, OR cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 The Dalles, OR

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

13,783

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX The Dalles, OR 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
The Dalles, OR

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 The Dalles, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Dalles, OR wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making The Dalles, OR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,565 in The Dalles, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,414 in The Dalles, OR – The Dalles, OR is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 32% less than in The Dalles, OR. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though The Dalles, OR gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, The Dalles, OR is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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